What Is "The Establishment"?

We often hear people talk about "the establishment". But what is it?Owen Jones - A columnist for the Guardian newspaper says the following:

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Here is what I understand the establishment to mean. Today's establishment is made up — as it has always been — of powerful groups that need to protect their position in a democracy in which almost the entire adult population has the right to vote. The establishment represents an attempt on behalf of these groups to "manage" democracy, to make sure that it does not threaten their own interests. In this respect, it might be seen as a firewall that insulates them from the wider population. As the well-connected rightwing blogger and columnist Paul Staines puts it approvingly: "We've had nearly a century of universal suffrage now, and what happens is capital finds ways to protect itself from, you know, the voters."

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He goes on to say:

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The establishment includes politicians who make laws; media barons who set the terms of debate; businesses and financiers who run the economy; police forces that enforce a law that is rigged in favour of the powerful. The establishment is where these interests and worlds intersect, either consciously or unconsciously. It is unified by a common mentality, which holds that those at the top deserve their power and their ever-growing fortunes, and which might be summed up by the advertising slogan "Because I'm worth it".

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Full article here LinkThe focus of his article is the UK but it seems to me that the same could be applied to the US or any other Western nation.Is there a global "establishment" and if so what is the consequence of that?Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

So how is that balancing doing at present?Because a lot of people, myself included, feel that there is a large and growing imbalance. We seem to be experiencing a period where "the establishment" is serving too few at the expense of too many.

So which segment of the political body is "the establshment"?
The ideological-at-all-costs segment? Or the other segment? Or is this a case of one part of the establishment Vs another part?

OK. But is that it? People looking out for their own interests? Don't we all do that to an extent? What makes it different or somehow more insidious than just generic self-interest? Or is it ultimately no different to you or I looking for a pay rise or increased job security or better pension?

So as far as you are concerned "the establishment" is just "the government"?What about other facetss such as the media, big business, law enforcement etc? Here is another section of the article linked to in the OP:

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Yet there is a logical flaw at the heart of establishment thinking. It may abhor the state — but it is completely dependent on the state to flourish. Bailed-out banks; state-funded infrastructure; the state's protection of property; research and development; a workforce educated at great public expense; the topping up of wages too low to live on; numerous subsidies — all are examples of what could be described as a "socialism for the rich" that marks today's establishment.

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Ah - You are your little pet peeve......The BBC is a funny one. It is part of the British establishment in many ways. But as a publicly funded service provider it is the focus of much hate from the Murdoch media empire, the British right wing press, the conservative party (and in recent time under Blair the Labour party too). So it is a somewhat subversive element...... LinkBut I know none of that will detract from your one man hate campaign...Just bear in mind that you and Murdoch are at one on this issue. Rarely a good place to be.