Originally Posted by
Takamuri
pa·tri·ot·ism [pey-tree-uh-tiz-uh m or, esp. British, pa-]
devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty.
Your government is your country. It is the identifying factor common to every citizen of your country. If you say, "I am a patriotic American," you are saying you support your country, and you do it devotedly. If the US government was replaced, with the North Korean or Iran government, would you still say "I am a patriotic American?" Hell no you wouldn't, because being an American to you has to do with having a government in place that represents your interests. If your government is not representative of you, but still calls itself the United States of America, are you still going to be 'patriotic?' Why not? I thought you said it has nothing to do with your government?