Too cynical

You know this quote from Niemöller ?

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Of course. Every high school teaches it. It's suppose to be a call to action, asking us to speak out and defend our fellow human beings. But why, according to this poem, why should I care about the communists and the unionists and the Jews? Because when they come for me, when it's my own butt on the line, I want the communists and the socialists and the Jews to save me. Not exactly altruistic.

My interpretation sounds terribly cynical and selfish (as I like to call it "rational self-interest"). Why do I care about the research for Parkinson's or blindness or aging? Is it because I want to reduce the suffering of other people, or because these bad things can one day happen to me?