Tracking Evidence That War (Does Not) Benefit Anyone

Machine Gun Battalion in the Bicycle POW Camp, Batavia (Wikimedia Common)

JAKARTA - The crash of a plane from Ukraine International Airlines in Taheran - Iran - which killed 176 people, really brought sorrow. Moreover, the plane was shot down because of an accidental element of the Iranian armed forces, which to this day the country has been on high alert due to arguments with the United States.

The above description is sufficient to prove that war often creates deep sadness. Not only those who are fighting, especially people who are innocent to the point of ignorance have even become victims.

Therefore, the war is similar to what the Novelist Aldous Huxley had spoken. "The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and instruments are none other than humans."

The Impact of War from Time to Time

Whether it's a small or big war, previous wars to the latest, wars to maintain sovereignty to wars over territories. Still, the losers are the people themselves. In fact, this case has been observed long ago by Ong Hok Ham in his column in Tempo Magazine in 1979, entitled "Indonesian Armed Forces in the 17th Century."

He revealed that it was related to the large costs of war incurred by two major kingdoms in the archipelago, the Mataram Kingdom with its Sultan Agung, who was said to have a fleet of 300,000 soldiers. As well as the Kingdom of Aceh led by Sultan Iskandar Muda has a fleet of 40,000.

Because of this desire for war, "Both Sultan Agung and Iskandar were forced to impose new taxes, or increase the existing ones to cover the costs of war," said Ong Hok Ham.

The massive tax collection as a war fund is enshrined in Amangkurat I, which ruled for 31 years only managed to amass the royal estate of about 350,000 rials. Even to defeat the Trunojoyo rebellion, the next king of Mataram, Amangkurat II, for 8 years owed the VOC 1,540,000 rials, which was four times more of Mataram's cash assets than the previous king.

Not only that, Sultan Iskandar Muda was similarly confused by the large funds of war. Then he took the initiative at the end of his reign, besides raising taxes, he also devalued the Aceh currency, causing its value to become a quarter of the former gold currency.

Whereas before the devaluation the Aceh currency had become a trusted currency - even to India and Turkey. After the devaluation, however, the Acehnese currency lost confidence forever.

Like it or not, it is the people who are again the victims. It is the people who are again feeling the deep pain after the war. And it is the people who have to bear all the burdens of the warring country or kingdom.

Moving on from the wars of the Indonesian kingdom era, then moving to the gripping wars caused by the proclamation, when Indonesia began to proclaim itself as a nation that was spoken directly by two Indonesian Founding Fathers, Soekarno - Hatta.

These tense times are reminded again in a short story summarized in Iksaka Banu's book All Untuk Hindia, entitled "Goodbye to the Indies."

In the short story tells that after the proclamation was pronounced, the young bumiputera dissolved in a deep hatred for whites. This is all summed up in a dialogue fragment:

"The proclamation of independence and the paralysis of local authority made the young bumiputera lose the logical boundary between 'fighting' and 'acting badly'. Hereditary hatred towards white people and those who are considered as collaborators, suddenly seems to find an outlet on the loose streets, in European settlements directly adjacent to the bumiputera village "

“God Almachtig. These corpses are like ground meat, ”Hermanus Schrijven of Utrechts Nieuwsblad crossed himself after examining the photos.

"Reportedly, the guards were Jawara or robbers who were recruited into the army. Some of the booty was distributed among the residents and was often taken by themselves, "

"Patriot bandits," Jan shrugged. "It happened during the French Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, and among the Yugoslav partisans of today."

"Children of the Revolution," I said.

"I hate war," Hermanus threw away the cigarette butts.

In the short story above, Iksaka Banu tries to take a point of view as a white European, while incarnating to learn about their fear, when their elite loses and runs away, then the people themselves become victims.

Wars are so often. so it is possible that many of them - people - think war brings prosperity labeled Gold, Glory and Gospel. However, besides that the war also brings sorrow to those who are innocent and after that they are sacrificed to become victims of the ferocity of war.

Another story about the sadness of war victims, was also told by Eric Weiner in his book The Geography of Bliss which tells of his journey to Moldova, which today is one of the most unhappy countries in the world.

After arriving in Moldova, he became acquainted with the owner of the house he was planning to live in in Moldova named Luba, a person who was affected by the war.

“Luba was born in Russia, came to Moldova a few decades ago, one of the millions of Russians who spread to the countries of the Soviet Union, with the intention of spreading Russian-style happiness. Life used to be fun. Before the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union fell, and so was Luba's life, ”says Eric Weiner.

Now Luba's life changes, tends to be indifferent, and often has sadness. “Now he has to save money to be able to eat and rent out his room to an American who is obsessed with the search for happiness. The wheel of history can be so crazy, "concluded Eric Weiner.

The summary of the stories above has confirmed that the war, from the Age of Kingdom to the independence of Indonesia, really did not benefit anyone, because the victims were humans themselves.

Loss of time, loss of money, loss of thought, and loss of life must be risked for things whose purpose only smells of existence in the form of: History written by winners ...