Here is an excellent lesson in democracy as it is now being perverted in America, particularly by the left wing of the Democratic Party.Over lunch two friends were discussing the government's recent round oftax cuts:"I'm opposed to those tax cuts," the retired college instructordeclared, "because they benefit the rich. The rich get much moremoney back than ordinary taxpayers like you and me and that's notfair.""But the rich pay more in the first place," the businessman argued, "so itstands to reason that they'd get more money back."He could tell that his friend was unimpressed by this meager argument.Even college instructors are a prisoner of the myth that the "rich"somehow get a free ride in America. Nothing could be further fromthe truth.Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that everyday ten men go to a restaurant for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to$100. If it were paid the way we pay our taxes, the first four men wouldpay nothing; the fifth would pay $1; the sixth would pay $3; the seventh $7;the eighth $12; the ninth $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay$59.The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quitehappy with the arrangement until the owner threw them a curve."Since you're all such good customers, he said, I’m going to reduce thecost of your daily meal by $20. " Now dinner for the 10 only costs $80.The first four are unaffected; they still eat for free. Can youfigure out how to divvy up the $20 savings among the remaining six sothat everyone gets his fair share?The men realize that $20 divided by 6 is $3.33, but if they subtract thatfrom everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would end upbeing paid to eat their meal.The restaurant owner proceeded to work out the amounts each should payunder the same assumptions:Now the fifth man also paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventhpaid $5, the eighth paid $9, and the ninth paid $12 leaving the tenth manwith a bill of $52 instead of $59.Outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only gota dollar out the $20," complained the sixth man, pointing to the tenth,"and he got $7!""Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar,too. It's unfair that he got seven times more than me!""That's true," shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $7 back when Igot only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!""Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't getanything at all. The system exploits the poor."The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.The next night he didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and atewithout him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discoveredsomething important. They were $52 short!And that, boys, girls, and college instructors, is how America's tax systemworks. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a taxreduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they justmay not show up at the table any more.After all, there are lots of good restaurants in Switzerland and theCaribbean!