Nick Hanauer

Here is the much-talked-about TED talk on inequality given by Nick Hanauer. We (TED) are posting it here to promote public discussion on an important issue. For more background on this, see this blog post from TED Curator Chris Anderson: http://tedchris.posterous.com

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[Peter Carter]

@eddiequest4 is right though. TED talks do tend to lean to the left, but then, as a great man once said: the truth has a well-known liberal bias.

[Les Scott]

Of course TED has a liberal bias. The most intelligent among us all have a liberal bias. :)

[1984Astral]

No, it's the lack of regulations that have destroyed our economy. It was the repeal of the Glass-Steagall act (a regulation) that allowed for sub-prime mortgages and the sale of mortgage packages on the stock market. Whenever I ask a conservative "which SPECIFIC regulation or regulations helped destroy the economy and HOW," all I get is silence. They repeat talking points based on ignorance; they have NO IDEA what they're talking about and can't provide details to back up their claims.

[1984Astral]

which is why the speaker said that job creation is a positive feedback between capitalists and consumers; to say that capitalists alone are "job creators" is to ignore the fact that without the consumers to buy their goods, their "capitalist infrastructure" would fail miserably and they'd be at the poor house asking for hand outs. The only reason business owners go into businesses is to LURE CONSUMERS. So consumers are the driving force of the economy and job creation.

[ebsm93]

of course an increase in consumption will increase demand for jobs - but it's only the people who have the capital infrastructure that can provide the supply of jobs to meet that demand. consumers dont create jobs, they create the DEMAND for it. Business owners meet that demand by creating the SUPPLY

[Vincent cavallino]

Shouldn't TEDs youtube host this ? so it can be seen by people? and not covered up by layers and layers of unnecessary interwebs?... Just saying.. its under 1 million views, and one of the most important ted talks. Might wake a few sheep .... Oh well... Thanks for censoring it, being forced to show it, and not posting it on TEDs front page.

[vhfaloha1]

I would also contend that undue over-reaching regulation hurts everyone far more than taxes. Labor laws and compliance costs force huge job losses via driving automation and forcing companies to move to other less costly environments.

[vhfaloha1]

How about a talk on how the taxes collected are largely wasted and/or stolen.

[Justin Knag]

How does he know that the earth is not the center of the universe?

[IelfphilRV]

lemme try explaining with your point :] - that the rich will always find ways to deduct taxes from their income. the wealthiest will find even more avenues to reduce taxes. the increased tax rate [assuming its is increased for a set income and above], affects only the marginal group around that income bracket, because the richest in the group will find ways to reduce their taxes. in effect, only a small group of a mostly newer, richer middle class will be brought down to a lower income bracket.

[Richard Thomas]

Nick has no idea what he's talking about. His charts are misleading if not outright a lie. Go look up the unemployment rate. It FELL twice (once from 1995-2001 and again from 2003-2007) however his chart shows a steady uninterrupted rise.