What principles would those be? One of the articles of the Constitution says that the government's job is to protect and defend.

And as for American patriotism "ranting" I think it's great that there are people out there who love the country where they were born or became naturalized so much that they want to shout it from the hilltops...and I don't mean just Americans. I think all people should be proud of the country of their birth, unless they dislike it because of atrosities that it has commited against them and they move.