Banned “Tax the Rich” TED Talk slides and text here

For those of you wondering if there’s ever a TED Talk that presents an idea too controversial for the group to publish it, there definitely is, and venture capitalist Nick Hanauer was the one to make it. What we’ve got here is the full text of the TED Talks presentation Hanauer made at the March TED University conference as well as the full set of slides he presented at the conference. We do not have the video for this TED Talk because TED officials have decided not to publish it, not streaming, not for download, and certainly not for consumption on Netflix or your iPad app.

This TED Talk speaks on how widening income inequality is bad in the United States (and abroad, for that matter), and how the rich should pay more in taxes. This speech was made on the 1st of March, but according to the National Journal, TED officials just this month (May 2012) told Hanauer that his remarks were both too controversial and too “political” for them to post. This came as a surprise to Hanauer who let THJ know that he’d first received emails from TED officials with glee, one of them even saying “I want to put this talk out into the world!”

Since then, TED curator Chris Anderson sent out an email to colleagues which noted that he didn’t feel it was right to post the talk at the same time as another controversial talk on contraception, this email noting: “[Hanauer’s talk] probably ranks as one of the most politically controversial talks we’ve ever run, and we need to be really careful when [to post it.] Next week ain’t right. Confidentially, we already have Melinda Gates on contraception going out. Sorry for the mixed messages on this.”

Since this email, Hanauer has been informed that his talk would not be published because, as Anderson notes:

“Even if the talk was rated a home run, we couldn’t release it, because it would be unquestionably regarded as out and out political. We’re in the middle of an election year in the US. Your argument comes down firmly on the side of one party. And you even reference that at the start of the talk. TED is nonpartisan and is fighting a constant battle with TEDx organizers to respect that principle.” – Anderson

Have a peek below for the full text of the TED Talk in question here as well as all of the slides (via Business Insider) that went along with the talk as it originally went down at the start of March of this year. Let us know what you think about TED publishing some, and not all, of the speeches they have presented at their conferences.