I generally don't concern myself with political philosophy, but during the past few days something occurred that made me shift into socialism (a Starbucks-drinking, Moleskine-using, Humanities-spouting socialist -- so cliche). A former worker at my father's company, who left them two years ago to start work in agriculture but who failed and ended up in working in construction, got into an accident. Grinder machine accident, head injury. Currently in coma at hospital.

Dad and his boss are pretty saddened by this. Their sadness was infectious. I posted a few emotional status updates on Facebook, ranting about worker rights and the fate of the poor.

Bugis's -- that's his name -- current state wouldn't have felt so terrible if alternate possibilities do not keep emerging in the minds of those around him and who have heard of his accident.

A run-down of the events in Bugis's life:
- he was invited to work with the company, he was a resident of the rural town of Simunjan, he used to work in the Peninsular in some form of manual labour
- he did well in the company, and was about to progress, getting a pretty good salary and a home
- he left because he wanted to return to the rural countryside, to return to that pace of life
- he wanted to start agricultural work -- fish ponds, collecting rubber, and at that time, the price was high
- things didn't turn out right -- his estimation of rural agriculture was wrong - he had to find work again
- in construction, where he was paid a miserable RM 50 per day, without EPF or Socso
- and met with an accident with the grinding machine and had a head injury

1. In the first alternate world, Bugis made the right decisions in his life. He never left employment in Kuching, and continued to work as a technician. He would be able to afford a lower middle class life, though hectic.

2. In the second alternate world, Bugis's decision to return to the countryside was not a financial mistake. Life of sustenance farming in the countryside did not translate to poverty.

3. In the third alternate world, Bugis's getting employed in construction does not translate to a potentially debilitating head injury. There would be adequate safety measures, and there would be health benefits.

4. In another world, the current world, someone can lay back, accept these as the passing of life and matters, and simply say: "Such is life".

The fourth is an evil choice. Another world is possible.

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I liked Parti Sosialis Malaysia's page, and later the fairly inactive Tenaganita. And I also got angry with religious organizations. "When you are reminded that the poor, the suffering and the unempowered in the world are individuals with names, that is when you get angry and frustrated at the bourgeoisie values of religious communities," I'd written on Facebook.

I confess: I was angry that I had given a lot of money to my church. That sounds like a very evil thing, though I've been wondering if my giving money to the church has gone into an institution that perpetuates wrongdoing and harm in society rather than it's supposed regeneration. (I still haven't fallen into heresy enough to be shocked at the reality of my anger.) I guess I've been making excuses. Why am I not angry enough at the expensive meals I've been eating at little restaurants?

At a certain point, I almost made a promise to live a life of poverty, to dedicate the leftovers of removal from luxury to organizations working with the poor. How good will I be with this, though? A few days after the shock at Bugis, I went window shopping again.

One can rant at the world, but the most powerful revolution is the personal one. God give me the strength to commit a personal one.