If these words sound familiar, that means you either paid attention in government class or you've read some John Locke. Or hey: maybe it was both.

These words became pretty famous because a dude you might have heard of—Thomas Jefferson—wrote them into the U.S.'s very own Declaration of Independence.

(Although just so we're historically accurate, he replaced "property" with "pursuit of happiness.")

What does all this have to do with the Platt Amendment? Glad you asked, inquisitive Shmooper. In the third rule of the amendment, it says:

[…] the United States may exercise the right to intervene for […] the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty […] (III)

Now, Congress is being pretty clever here. Not only are they sounding very kind to Cuba, being concerned with their well-being and all, but they are referencing America's own history. And they're referencing it in a very patriotic way. After all, who doesn't love life, liberty, and property? America was born with these values front and center, fighting against an oppressive foreign government (that'd be Britain).

When it came to Cuba, America did not want to look like evil Britain. So by invoking some good ol' patriotic pride, America looks much less like a controlling tyrant, and much more like a compassionate lover of freedom. And thus the Platt Amendment looks much better to anyone reading it.

Score one for Congress.