In the art of warfare, possessing the most sophisticated weaponry and the deadliest ammunition should ensure dominance on the battlefield. A skilled warrior strategically deploys his arsenal to neutralize threats and secure victory. But what happens when the warrior, armed with power and public legitimacy, squanders his strength, misfires, or worse—turns his weapon on himself? This is the perfect allegory for Prabowo Subianto’s political trajectory: entrusted with the force of the people, yet choosing to clasp hands with a leader synonymous with global-scale corruption—Joko Widodo.
Once a fierce adversary of Jokowi, Prabowo engaged in two grueling electoral battles against him, rallying millions behind his crusade against the very system he now defends. Instead of standing firm on the principles he once championed, he has not only allied himself with Jokowi but has also become an executor of the very policies he vehemently condemned. Those who once saw him as a beacon of change now watch in disillusionment: was his opposition genuine, or was it merely an elaborate maneuver in the game of power?
In politics, pragmatism is often necessary. Yet, there is a stark difference between strategic alliance and outright capitulation. When a leader, who once vowed to eradicate corruption, instead chooses to integrate himself into the very machinery of decadence, the result is not reform, but the perpetuation of the same rot under a new banner. Prabowo, now wielding immense authority, should have turned his firepower toward dismantling entrenched corruption. Instead, he has holstered his weapon, extended his hand, and welcomed into his circle the very forces he once opposed.
Perhaps Prabowo believes that by aligning himself with Jokowi, he is ensuring his political future. Yet history has been unkind to those who tether themselves too closely to corrupt regimes—they become absorbed into the system they once vowed to dismantle. No matter how powerful a weapon may be, it is rendered useless if misfired—or worse, left unused.
So, is Prabowo still the warrior he was once lauded as? The answer is clear: he now stands as a soldier armed with power but devoid of resolve, stationed on the battlefield yet unwilling to fire in the direction that matters.
