The Tax System Explained in Beer
The well-known parable: ten men go out for beer and split the bill the way we pay our taxes — the first four pay nothing, and the tenth pays most of it. When the bill is reduced and the savings are shared proportionally, the wealthiest man's larger share leaves him open to resentment — until the night he doesn't show up, and the others find they can't cover the bill without him.
It's a simple story, but I've always found it a useful illustration of how progressive taxation actually plays out.
