Americans, perhaps because they have a guilty conscience, think of the IRS as being omniscient.

CNN: An Overtaxed IRS

For an eater suffering from a guilty conscience, a spoonful of vitamins makes the fattening food go down.

FORBES: Fructose Nation

While it makes for a nice sound bite to console those with a guilty conscience, IT IS A LIE .

FORBES: The True Test of Leadership

Australia well might since it has a particularly guilty conscience about the East Timorese: though they fought in the second world war to help prevent a Japanese invasion of Australia, the Australians ever nervous of their big neighbour shamefully broke western ranks to recognise Indonesia's rule of the annexed territory.

ECONOMIST: The tragedy of East Timor | The