Why do you program in C++ ?

Came across an interesting discussion in comp.lang.c++.moderated newsgroup.
Scott Meyers (author of the book Effective C++ and More Effective C++) had initiated this discussion by asking an interesting question - Why do you program in C++ ?

You can follow the discussion at : http://tinyurl.com/d9os6

One of the replies in the form of a poem was really interesting - and I totally agree with it.

It's short and easy to spell
There is no proprietary smell.
It's quick, fast and lean
Not tied to a specific machine.
It does what I need,
It does it with speed.
Thousands of $ have been spent
To training seminars I went.
Templates, new exciting and abstract
Have improved the language. That's a fact.
My brain over the years has been taught
Of the language idiosyncrasies fraught.
While, with other languages I dabble
I must stop this random babble.
Mostly I use C++ by and large
Because like Al Haig, I'm IN CHARGE.