There are some really powerful and interesting TED talks that I really appreciated over the years. I even thought about making it a longer term goal to save up and go to one of the conferences. Who knows, maybe it’ll happen.
But reading this article I became very frustrated. How can it be that an organization dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading” censors a talk that focuses so clearly on the core of the social problems created by a disappearing middle class?
I’m glad, that the text of Nick Hanauers talk is available here and I urge all of you to read it!
For me the central message here is the fact, that every human being depends on the next human being both as a consumer and as a creator. Especially in the media business we need to find a way to re-establish this respectful relationship. It has been damaged for the past 13 years by technological development driving a wedge between citizens on both ends of the spectrum.
We’ve had it backward for the last 30 years. Rich businesspeople like me don’t create jobs. Rather they are a consequence of an eco-systemic feedback loop animated by middle-class consumers, and when they thrive, businesses grow and hire, and owners profit. That’s why taxing the rich to pay for investments that benefit all is a great deal for both the middle class and the rich.
Nick Hanauer TED Presentation About Why Rich People Aren’t Job Creators – Business Insider.
