>I'm sorry. I fail to see the difference between a patriot and a fanatic.<

There is a significant difference in the definitions of these two terms, the contrariness of which should explain to any rational
person why we are at war. Your problem, novacain, is like that
of so many others: your misuse of the word "innocent."

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

patriot (n.)† 1. A fellow-countryman, compatriot. Obs. rare.

1596 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (ed. 2) 246 Tenham..where our honest patriote Richard Harrys..planted..the sweete Cherry.
1611 Cotgr., Patriote, a patriote, ones countrey~man.
1629 H. Burton Truth’s Triumph 285 If hee..finde..kinde vsage of the natiues and patriots of the country.

2. a. One who disinterestedly or self-sacrificingly exerts himself to promote the wellbeing of his country; ‘one whose ruling passion is the love of his country’ (J.); one who maintains and defends his country’s freedom or rights.

In this use, at first, as in French (see Littré), with ‘good’, ‘true’, ‘worthy’, or other commendatory adjective: cf. ‘good citizen’. ‘Patriot’ for ‘good patriot’ is rare before 1680. At that time often applied to one who supported the rights of the country against the King and court.
1605 B. Jonson Volpone iv. i, Such as were known patriots, Sound lovers of their country.
1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 8 Was Catiline therefore an honest man, or a good Patriot?
a1641 Bp. R. Montagu Acts & Mon. ii. (1642) 147 Nehemias, a true and faithfull Patriot.
a1643 Ld. Falkland, etc. Infallibility (1646) 176 The Catholiques were knowne good Patriots under our former Kings.
1699 Dryden To J. Driden 171 A patriot both the King and Country serves, Prerogative and privilege preserves.
1706 Phillips, Patriot, a Father of his Country, a great Benefactor to the Publick.
1716 Pope Epit. on Trumbal 5 An honest Courtier, yet a Patriot too, Just to his Prince, and to his Country true.
1738 Glover Leonidas i. 262 So spake the patriot, and his heart o’erflow’d.
1750 Berkeley Patriotism §24 A patriot is one who heartily wisheth the public prosperity, and doth..also study and endeavour to promote it.
1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxvii, His was the patriot’s burning thought, Of Freedom’s battle bravely fought.
1855 Prescott Philip II, I. ii. x. 255 A band of patriots ready to do battle for the liberties of their country.

b. The name has been at various times borne or assumed by persons or parties whose claim to it has been disputed, denied, or ridiculed by others. Hence the name itself fell into discredit in the earlier half of the 18th c., being used, according to Dr. Johnson, ‘ironically for a factious disturber of the government’. So sometimes, at a later date, ‘Irish Patriot’.

1644 Maxwell Prerog. Chr. Kings 117 The specious and spurious pretences of our glorious Reformers, and zealous Patriots today.
1677 G. Hickes in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. IV. 42 Encouraged..by their foresaid patriots, whereof some wish the ruin of the Church, and all of them the ruin of my Lord Duke.
1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit. 965 Gull’d with a Patriots name, whose Modern sense Is one that wou’d by Law supplant his Prince: The Peoples Brave, the Politicians Tool; Never was Patriot yet, but was a Fool.
1771 Earl Malmesbury Lett. (1870) I. 218 [This country] does not wish a war, whatever wicked patriots may endeavour, or lying newspapers print.
1780 Cowper Table-t. 143 A band, called patriots for no cause But that they catch at popular applause.
1798 Canning & Frere New Morality 113 in Anti-Jacobin, A steady patriot of the world alone, The friend of every country–but his own.
1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1842) II. 405.
1833 Macaulay Ess., H. Walpole (1865) I. 284/1 The name of patriot had become [c 1744] a by-word of derision. Horace Walpole scarcely exaggerated when he said that..the most popular declaration which a candidate could make on the hustings was that he had never been and never would be a patriot.
1888 Times 17 Aug. 7/2 Much to his credit, he refused to interfere in favour of the Irish patriots.

fanatic, (n)B. n.
† 1. A mad person. In later use: A religious maniac. Obs.

c1525 Robin Hood 160 Fool, fanatick, baboon.
1655 M. Casaubon Enthusiasme 7 One Orpheus, a mere fanatick.
1806 Med. Jrnl. XV. 213 Dr. G[all] gave..hints how to treat fanatics, by using topical remedies and poultices.

2. a. A fanatic person; a visionary; an unreasoning enthusiast. Applied in the latter half of the 17th c. to Nonconformists as a hostile epithet.

1644 Abp. Maxwell Sacrosancta Regum Majestas 44 Gratia gratum faciens, Saving Grace, as some fanatickes and fantastickes fondly imagine.
1657 John Gaule Sapient. Justif. 11 Enthusiasts, Anabaptists, Fanaticks, and Familists.
1660 Fuller Mixt. Contempl. (1841) 212 A new word coined, within few months, called fanatics..seemeth well..proportioned to signify..the sectaries of our age.
1660 Pepys Diary 15 Apr., Since Lambert got out of the Tower, the Fanatiques had held up their heads high.
1709 Evans in Hearne Collect. 10 Nov., D. Sacheverel..thunderd..against ye phanaticks.
1780 Harris Philol. Enq. (1841) 430 Henry the Fourth of France..was unexpectedly murdered by a wretched fanatic.
1859 Kingsley Sir W. Raleigh I. 20 The man of one idea, who works at nothing but that..sacrifices everything to that; the fanatic in short.
1883 Froude Short Stud. IV. iii. 269 The Jews..were troublesome fanatics whom it was equally difficult to govern or destroy.

b. A fanatical devotee of.

1790 Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. V. 66 Those exploded fanaticks of slavery.
c. Comb.
1707 E. Ward Hud. Rediv. (1715) II. ix, To show, tho’ conquer’d, they abhor (Fanatick like) all sov’reign Pow’r.
1722 Sewel Hist. Quakers (1795) II. vii. 62 Robinson’s mischievous intent to go a fanatick hunting.

rick barclay