Commentary by G. Michael Reid – In the days before the French Revolution, the citizens of France were divided into three classes known as estates; namely the clergy, the nobles and the commoners.  A similar system exists to this day in the United Kingdom with some differences between the Lords Temporal, the Lords Spiritual and the Commons.  As a matter of fact, the three estates as they exist today might be simpler categorized as rich, poor and church; with the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer and the church fading into oblivion.  Interestingly enough, while under the ancien regime of France, the church was considered a part of the First Estate; under the British system, “the faith once delivered unto the saints” is relegated to the realm of commoners; clearly demonstrative of the ever diminishing role of what used to be the most powerful and influential body on earth.   This essay, however, is not about the church or even about the three estates but instead about a fourth.

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