The theory of the big (but good) lie goes back to a certain reading of Plato's most famous dialogue, the Republic. There are more or less crude versions of it but the gist of the theory is that for reasons for state - that is, so as to secure the chance of the ruler to rule smoothly - telling lies can be justified and may even be necessary. Indeed, the big lie could well have been the very idea of the perfect political system itself that Socrates sketched in that dialogue, one that really amounts to a utopia, an impossible blueprint for a human community and its basic principles.

Does the American left love America? Does the Canadian left love Canada? Does the Jewish left love Israel? Does the left of every civilized nation love of its country? Of course they do. On one condition. That they agree to kill themselves first.

The left says he was a right-winger; the conservatives say that he was a leftist. What is abundantly clear, from reading his Internet commentaries, is that Pentagon shooter John Patrick Bedell was a psychotic pothead. He hated a government that he believed was standing in the way of his desire to use, grow and glorify marijuana. He virtually worshipped the drug. "I'm a cannabis enthusiast," he proclaimed.

In terms of ideology, he expressed conservative ideas about limiting the role of government, but opposed the war in Iraq and favored open borders. 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has telegraphed the strategy House Democrats are considering to shove ObamaCare down the throat of a resistant American public:

• Both Houses pass separate legislation that can be portrayed as sufficiently "anti-abortion" to satisfy Congressman Bart Stupak and his supporters; which will
• Mousetrap Republican Members of Congress and pro-life groups into supporting the bills; which in turn will make it possible to
• Pass the Senate Bill in the House; with the promise that
• The Senate Bill's abortion language will be struck from the bill in a reconciliation package and justified as reducing federal outlays.