Lest they forget our country was founded on dissent in regards to how we were being handled by a 'foreign' government.

"Dissent is patriotic."

This tolerance of dissent was founded on the idea that we would at least embrace some common ideals and pursue some common goals. The theory was that reasonable people might, in some cases disagree about goals, methods and principles, but they would use their rational faculties to attempt to overcome those disagreements for mutual gain and approach toward the common ideals. This is clearly only theory and not actual practice. In actual practice, we have people who express dissent while embracing opposing ideals, refusing to employ their rational faculties (or not in possession of any) and no intent to allow anything other than full compliance with their whims. In times of war, this is treasonous because it gives aid and comfort and because its intent is to promote the defeat of the common ideals.

1HF