Replace "peasants" with "working class" and "lords" with "employers and landlords" and you could apply the exact same statement to 38 million people in the US alone[0].
Also, the high-born were free to rape and kill peasants with no repercussions.
Like I say, read the book.
Honestly even this statement would probably apply to our society as well if you'd replace nobility with the "ruling class", but I get your point.
Obviously there are big differences between then and today and I don't want to minimize those, although I feel even though the "implementation details" have changed a lot (no more free raping and killing thankfully - but only if you exclude submerged stories like the Epstein case), structurally our society still works similarly.