“It’s Mine”

“I have always voted for Chavez, but he wants a dictatorship like Cuba. I don’t want the government to take my small house. It’s mine.”

I know we’re all trained to condemn selfishness, but this man (a voter in Venezuela) made the ultimate selfish statement: “It’s mine.” This is the attitude that keeps dictators in check, and ultimately overthrows them. This is the attitude that fosters self-responsibility, pride and ownership–the very things dictators hate the most. This statement — “It’s mine” — is a beautiful sentiment. I applaud it.

I only wish more Americans grasped its true meaning and implications.