The Press and the Establishment. Part Three.

Part three of The Press and the Establishment

My feelings about "The Establishment" were born as I realised that I had developed an in built sense of respectful awe, this being on account of the honour and implication earned by the right to use the title SIR in front of one's name. I wish to stress that point, I most decidedly felt that starting a letter with Dear Sir, when the "Sir" meant that I was writing to a Knight of the Realm was rather a daunting and awe inspiring challenge.

This sense of awe faded as deep feelings of injustice took very firm root in my mind. As I felt that Knights of the Realm were automatically linked with "The Establishment" I came to think harder and harder as to what degree a person's thinking is affected, consciously or not, by their perception of "The Establishment".

As I pondered as to what is "The Establishment" I felt that somewhere and somehow a person
or group of people could define, in point form, what distinguished a person as a member of the "true" Establishment". Could one of these points be that the person was a member of the traditional "ruling class"? This raises a question as to whether a person not "born" into it can ever become a member of the traditional ruling class. Note that ruling class does not imply that MPs, on account of their role, are automatically members though, of course, some of them may qualify on account of being "born" into it.

In defining"The Establishment", that I am concerned with, care has to be taken that one is referring to to the ruling class establishment. This because there are many mini and/or specified establishments linked with various callings or professions. Some that spring easily to mind are medicine, education, law, publishing, science, engineering,art, finance, international politics and religion. Many of the persons who qualify as top members of a mini establishment may also be members of the true or ruling class "Establishment"

I consider it rather an anomaly that political parties, in the House of Commons, can create Life Peers to serve in the House of Lords, and that the titles of Lord or Baroness so awarded tend to assure that the person so honoured is well on the way to becoming a member of "The Establishment". This facet disturbs me and I would like to see a different system created, to ensure that brilliant minds, tuned in and trusted by virtue of experience and exposure to the public, can be called on to advise MPs on any matter.

This blog about "The Press and the Establishment" will be continued in part four.

Frederick W Gilling. Sunday 01 November 2009.