TED (conference) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

TED, who’s slogan is “Ideas Worth Spreading” and who has provided hundreds of insightful speeches for years, has decided not to spread one idea. They are refusing to provide access to a talk by a speaker who argues that income inequality is bad for America.

The speaker was Nick Hanauer, and here is part of what he said:

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 ecosystemic 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.

It is very odd, to say the least, for a forum for free expression to back away from one of their speakers.