TED Wants To Remind Us That Ideas -- Not Politicians -- Shape the Future (qz.com)

An anonymous reader shares a Quartz report: Amid global political upheavals, TED curator Chris Anderson argues that ideas have never mattered more. "Ideas changes how people act and [shape] their long term perspective," he said in during a April 17 press briefing. "Politicians come and go and ideas are forever." He said TED -- two segments of which will be broadcast live in movie theaters this year -- wants to re-introduce civility into political discourse. "We want to avoid the zero sum game we see on cable television every day," said Anderson, noting that TED is a non-partisan organization and has historically featured controversial and intriguing thinkers from both sides of the political divide. In place of the shrill, headline-bait tenor of political spectacles, TED wants to take viewers to a place of "reasoned discourse" where big ideas can act as a bridge between opposing views. By creating an eclectic program -- including an entire session delivered in Spanish and another on artificial intelligence -- Anderson said he wants to steer the conversation away from government and politics. "With so much focus in politics, the world is in danger of forgetting that so much of what really changes the future happens outside completely of politics. It happens inside the mind of dreamers, designers, inventors, technologists, entrepreneurs," he said.

Comments

Most people are done with political correctness.

[Anonymous Coward]

Over the past 10 to 20 years, most Western nations have been subjected to a potent form of political correctness that has stifled free thought and free expression, especially within academia.

We see this in how false accusations of "racism", "sexism", "bigotry", "intolerance", "homophobia", and "transphobia" are used to shut down free and open discussion.

We see this in how "safe spaces" are used to prevent free and open discussion from even happening in the first place.

We've mainly seen this driven by those on the left side of the political spectrum.

Anything that conforms to their own set of beliefs is fine to discuss, but anyone who holds differing opinions is violently attacked. Recently we've even seen these leftists start using physical violence, such as during the the Ferguson "protests" (riots), and during the recent Berkeley incidents.

I think that society at large is waking up, though. They're seeing how those on the political right protest responsibly and maturely, while it's those on the political left who start using violence and riots.

People watch videos on YouTube and they see how President Trump's rallies are peaceful, fun, and encouraging events. They feature lots of people coming together to work for real improvement. And these people also watch videos on YouTube showing leftist protesters intentionally resorting to violent, destructive behavior.

You say that "most people aren't intelligent", but I think you're wrong about that. Most people may not be rocket scientists, but they sure are smart enough to know that it's leftists resorting to censorship, violence and rioting, and not those on the political right.

That's why President Trump won the election in the USA. That's why we're seeing strong support for right wing parties in Europe and Australia. Society at large is really beginning to see that it's a violent and extremist fringe leftist element of society that's responsible for so many of the problems we have today.

Re:Wow!

[cayenne8]

Actually, dialogue is the ideal way to solve problems.

Well, that's true.

However, for the most part, the party/ideology from the left in the US that promotes itself as the party of diversity and tolerance, is ONLY tolerant of viewpoints they hold and not only will put you down for what you think (overusing terms like racist, etc) but will try to actively prevent you espousing your viewpoints at all in public (see recent colleges shutting down speakers coming to campus).

How can you have a dialog, when one side tries to actually prevent any opposing views from being presented at all?

WoW....quick on the Troll mod draw.

This is a prime example of not wanting to let another side even be put up for discussion.

None so blind as those who WILL NOT see

[Ann O'Nymous-Coward]

I don't see the folks on the right trying to actively suppress the liberal views being presented in public.

The only way you can't be seeing it is if your head is so far up your ass you'll never see daylight again.

Conservatives are VERY actively trying, in many ways, across many states, to MAKE PROTEST ILLEGAL.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/24/republican-lawmakers-introduce-bills-to-curb-protesting-in-at-least-17-states/

So much for that pesky bit in the constitution about the right to protest.

Re: TED ideas = super obvious ideas

[dcw3]

Calling BS here. I've seen a few TED talks, and don't know WTF you're talking about. Please point to what makes them in any way elitist, or in an echo chamber.