Danial Hamdani/Nuricha Fajariani

THBT progressive political candidates and parties should refuse to accept donations from
corporation and high-net individuals
Stance: progressive political candidates or Stance: progressive political candidates and
parties reject the donations from elites, parties should accept donations from
because we have an alternative to substitute the corporation and high-net individuals in order
donations which is by using crowdfunding and to gain larger campaign capital to better spread
personal funding for the privilege candidates in their progressive values.
order to achieve the progressive values.
Disclaimer
Who are the progressive politicians? They are 1. Note that receiving donations from
politicians that up hold progressive values (ex. corporation and high-net individuals
Environmentally friendly, labor protection doesn’t always equal to them asking
etc.) which is not exist is society. They are the politician to pay back and create
represented and advocating progressive policy that favor their interest in the
political issues in the first place. Literally, this future. In addition, not all companies
progressive politician coming up from middle are evil. But even if, the corporation
upper society. who donates is evil and has vested
interest, we will prove you why the
Who are corporations/elites? They are people harm is not mutually exclusive under
or group that has privilege and donors their opposition side and why is it still
capital for political candidates in most case due benefiting in the first place.
to some particular interest.
A1. Why progressive political candidates and
But this is the problem, if the candidates don’t parties should accept donations from the
have any capital to begin with, where they elites?
might get it? later we going to explain you - Reason 1: campaign needs a huge
more about this. funding. Progressive values such as
women empowerment, labor
A1. Why progressive politician candidates protection, and so on are minor issues
should not receive the donations from the that most people still against for in
elites? Indonesia. Evidence: RUU-PKS that
- Reason 1: the moment you receive the aims to protect the victim of sexual
donations from the elites that’s the harassment is highly condemned for
moment you harming the progressive allegedly supporting zina. There are to
values which you fight for to begin scenarios that might exist from the
with (ex. You receive donations from political candidates. First, the political
environmentally destructive candidate might come from a well-off
corporation). Even if they change it just individual such as Hary Tanoesoedibjo
for washing and covering their sins. that uses his own money to conduct
- Reason 2: This political candidate has campaign. It can happen since
advantage by attracted support power progressive value usually instilled in an
from progressive individuals. If they open-minded, middle-upper society
are going to receive the donations from from the proper formal education that
 elites, means that indirectly they betray
those progressive individuals that up
hold them in the first place. Because
literally corporations are up holding
conservative values (like uphold the
standard of beauty, omnibus law etc.)
that contrast with progressive one.
- Reason 3: there is other alternatives to
gain capital such as from crowdfunding
and personal budgeting. Basically,
progressive people are mostly from
middle upper society who has lot of
money to begin with and if you are
from middle upper you can do
crowdfunding from society to cover
your capital lacking.
A2. Why the donations from elites are
basically dangerous?
- Reason 1: corporations has particular
interest. In the end of the day, the elites
want laws/policy/regulation that in
favor or benefit them (ex. They will
demand the politicians to create
policies like to not over strict the
regulation about minimum wage etc).
why the will demanding? Corporations
are profit oriented. Usually they are not
progressive like mostly they are anti-
environmentally, support beauty
standard. Why because somethings
conservatives like this inherent with
their need as company to gain benefit.
- Reason 2: taking the donations make it
easier for the elites to achieve their
interest. There will be political A2. Why progressive political candidates can
transaction between the candidates and accept the donations from the elites?
elites. Let say if the candidates didn’t
create policy like the elites interest, or
creating policies which is not
benefiting them. They will not help the
candidates in next election. So, it will
make the candidates feel like has
obligation to fulfill the demand from
the elites.
they got. Second, the political
candidate might come from an
individual or small nascent parties that
have limited supporter and funding due
to the controversial issues that they
fight for. After all, political campaign
needs a huge funding. Therefore, we
believe that the political candidates that
come from a small nascent parties need
donations to be able to conduct a
proper campaign. Even if, in worst
scenario, the donations might be
unnecessary for the political candidate
that come from a well-off individual,
we believe that it’s always better to
have more funding at the end of the
day.
- Reason 2: why huge funding is very
important? Characteristic of current
society, people that are politically
illiterate still higher than the one that
politically literate. Huge funding can
be used to create massive education
about progressive values. Huge
funding help the candidate to reach out
to bigger audiences especially the one
in the rural area as these people are the
one who often times still lack of
education and close-minded. Huge
funding can be used for various
campaign method, for example
creating a seminar, producing movies
or other art with related progressive
issue, etc.
- Reason 1: not all of corporations are
evil. In the status quo, there are a lot of
responsible corporation that pay
attention to progressive issues. How
can that happen? Our modern society
start to be more progressive, therefore
corporation following the trend to keep
their consumer. For example, there are
a lot of corporation that to use green
A3. Trade off: Small capital for campaign
- As we know that there is progressive
candidate that coming from middle
lower people who has lack in capital
which is hamper on how their
campaigning the progressive values.
The alternative is we have
crowdfunding as the counter
productive to shift the donations from
elites. Even if you are from middle
upper, when you use your own
budgeting, first, the progressive values
will eventually achieve because
literally progressive people come up A3. Trade off: dependent to elites interest
from middle upper society. Second,
society will more likely to respectful
because they saw you using your own
power without helping from other
elites that likely effect on how you
create policies.
- Even if you from middle lower who has
low capital, why you don’t have to
receive the donations?
1. Campaign has changed now. The
campaign methods use by the
politicians now are cheaper through
social media. You don’t have to
directly do campaign on field or use
TV which is need a lot of money.
2. Assuming that you get donations
from good corporation that uphold
progressive values. Numerically
there is more evil corporation
rather than the good one. So in the
end of the day, the one who will
win the election are the one who get
donations from evil corporation.
management to protect environment
such as The body shop, Garnier, Nike,
etc.
- Reason 2: Becoming conservative will
harm the corporations itself. For
example : in the case of PT Aice that
neglecting their labor welfare by not
giving proper care for pregnant
employees, they are hampering their
own productivity as the labor start to do
massive strike and a lot of consumer
stop buying their products.
- Scenario 1: no, they will not be
dependent to elites interest. If
corporations demanding something
bad for example law that are benefiting
them, they will be boycotted by
society. It can happen especially for
the corporation that have a lot of
competitors (their products are
replaceable).
- Worst scenario: even if, in the worst
scenario, the corporation have a vested
interest and the politician should
changing their stance, at least the
political education already exist in the
first place so it will benefit the society
as well. Moreover, the harm is not
mutually exclusive under opposition
side. Personal funding: After all, politic
is all about interest and compromise.
Even if they are not directed by
conservative corporation, they still
can’t create policy that 100%
progressive as they should consider
another group of society. For example,
in the making process of RUU-PKS,
they still have to consider the
conservative as they are also part of
society and have right to be heard.
Crowdfunding: politician should also
pay back to the community. The
community can also have certain
interest and the politician becoming
dependent to the major donators while
neglecting the other.