The sense of patriotism is a reflection of one’s social reality. In addressing patriotism as a respect for one’s country, it must be clarified that a country is represented by its people rather than its acting government. Thus rather than accepting patriotism as a measure of undying, blindly-following Nationalist rhetoric, one can interpret both the rebel and the king’s calvary as patriots. By applying one’s response to their social reality in classifying patriotism, patriotism is then defined by those who best represent the will of the people.In paralleling these two ideas of what defines patriotism, the most interesting case in point is that of the United States of America. In their formation, the United States were seen as rebels to the British Empire, however, they no longer viewed themselves as a colony and fought patriotically for the welfare of their own people in establishing their independence. Once independence was gained, in drafting constitutions, and creating theri governing systems, there was a purposeful drive to remove themselves from a system of Imperial autocracy like that which they had escaped. The creation of the senate and congress, was intended to distribute power, rather than creating a monopoly on it held by a single ruler. Freedom of Speech was granted that one may feel free to question one’s government.Within the Declaration of Independence, there was dialogue directed at justifying the concept of overthrowing an oppressive governing system, in this case represented by the British Empire. Given this context of justifying rebellion, and deconstructing the power of government, the given right to bare arms, must be seen as tantamount to giving the people the right to arm themselves against oppression and corruption. Given this moral stance of the Founding Fathers, treason within the United States must be seen as a crime unworthy of punishment, but rather as an expression of a patriotic sense of discontentment, lest the American government be guilty of hypocrisy.However, the United States has changed its shape over time since the days of its establishment. By avoiding the Second World War (other than to collect profit from both sides) until that point at which they were able to express their nuclear capabilities and make themselves present at the end of a finished race, the United States were able to emerge as a new superpower. By exiting the war early, the Soviet Union too had become a power worthy of contention with the United States, fueling the Cold War. Given the state of fear the Cold War provided, the American government was able to exercise martial law in the Communist witch hunt which swept the nation, in effect securing a non-questioning sense of patriotic dependency in which Capitalism could do no wrong. With the nuclear-powered Capitalism versus Communism epidemic constantly threatening existence, the United States’ reach stretched further and further in their attempts to win the war over Communist advancement, making them a military presence both hated and feared.Years after fighting so hard to escape the great Colonial Empire of the time, the United States has become everything they sought to break free of, in the form of the new age Capitalist Empire. As the country wages wars in the name of spreading their bastardized Democracy, there is an ever-present fervour of undying loyalty towards the blind sensibility that government can do no wrong, threatening to extinguish the very fire of patriotism and of freedom by which America was forged.