The Panama Papers Explained with Flowers

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A scene from the fourth episode, "It Wouldn't Hurt Them to Give Us a Raise" - from the Dick Van Dyke Show, season 11:

Doug Wesley: (trying to explain Alan Brady's corporate picture) Rob, maybe I can demonstrate it better with the flowers.

Rob Petrie: The flowers?

Doug Wesley: (picking up a vase of flowers) Yeah. Now, this pot is Alan Brady.

Rob Petrie: Good casting.

Doug Wesley: All these flowers are his various enterprises.

Rob Petrie: He has that many flowers, huh?

Doug Wesley: Now this big, lusty, healthy blue flower - that's Ishimoru.

Rob Petrie: (taking the blue flower) Ishimoru... uh, uh - ptpt ptpt - motorcycles.

Doug Wesley: Right, right. Now, this sickly little green flower - that's Tam O'Shanter.

Rob Petrie: (taking the green flower) Tam O'Shanter, uh, coloring books.

Doug Wesley: Right.

Rob Petrie: Got that.

Doug Wesley: Now, this big pink flower - that's Brady Lady.

Rob Petrie: Brady Lady?

Doug Wesley: Brady Lady is owned by Alan's wife.

Rob Petrie: Alan's wife?

Doug Wesley: She pays the band.

Rob Petrie: Alan's wife pays the band?

Doug Wesley: Well, it's a perfectly legitimate loophole, Rob.

[longship]

1. Yet I still do not understand it.

Which I fear is the intention.

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2. Rob could get a raise because his employer, Alan's Ishimoru company, was doing well.

Buddy and Sally could not get a raise because they were employees of Alan's Tam O'Shanter company, which was was failing.

In other words, Alan still has all the money but if Tam O'Shanter goes bust, Alan is fine. Buddy and Sally are screwed.