Minnesota Millennial, Power Politics

         I had a great opportunity at a Healthcare For All MN meeting last year to meet Mathieu Landretti. Mathieu is a soon-to-be high school graduate already keyed into the world of politics. In addition, he's filling an important role for Healthcare For All, but more on that later.

         As a young millennial and politically engaged Minnesotan, we get to hear from the next generation about what is happening now, what should happen, and how we may get there.

If I understood correctly, you're very busy currently with high school and college-level courses. Considering all you have ahead of you, how did you become interested in politics?

"Politics first captivated my interest in ninth-grade Civics class. There we learned the basics of the United States government and political system. That the Founders were able to develop such a simple yet effective frame for society inspired me to consider a career in U.S politics. 

I spent the following years creating different politically oriented projects with my friends such as designing a Bernie Sanders fan page, co-founding the Free Speech Club at my high school, and building a small website to attempt to establish a Super PAC. All of these projects stemmed from my love of politics and current events.

My exploration of political issues allowed me to become more-open minded towards new ideas and has cultivated my critical thinking skills. I began to listen to a wide range of dissenting opinions, to better understand where my opponents were coming from. I listened to liberals, conservatives, and even those on the political fringes of society to better understand their motives in order to reason with them more effectively. 

Mathieu Landretti. Photo from Facebook.

Most days, I spend one or two hours following current events with a particular interest in Middle Eastern conflict, domestic economic policy, and free speech issues. 

In addition, I spend part of my free time writing about my positions on societal issues such as healthcare, function of bureaucracy, and workers’ rights. 

Some specific issues I am deeply concerned about include the future of Internet freedom as they pertain to the Constitution, the Syrian refugee crisis, economic inequality, and money in politics. 

I also commit time to reading about different political topics. I have read excerpts, essays, and books from a number of classic authors including George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Niccole Machiavelli, and Karl Marx. 

I have also read an array of contemporary works by authors such as Thomas Sowell, Robert Reich, and Bernie Sanders. After learning about a new political topic, I attempt to apply its ideas to my life. 

Even if I find myself in disagreement, I am still interested in learning more about an author’s position on an issue in order to test my ideas against it."  

During the 2016 election....

"I took as many social studies classes as I could, and I followed the election on many media outlets. 

Everyday, my friends and I discussed the benefits and drawbacks of each presidential candidate and based on their policy positions. 

I also served as an election judge, and I attended informational meetings to learn about issues facing the nation. 

This convinced me to begin sending letters about healthcare and net neutrality to the president and my Congress people, and I took part in a nationwide march against climate change."  

The 2016 election was a busy time for high-schooler Mathieu Landretti. Photo from Unsplash

What are a few issues you feel are important to your generation that may not be talked about enough? 

"I believe the three most important issues that need to be brought to the mainstream dialogue are as follows:

1. The dangers of climate change, the unsustainability of corporate agriculture, and the ruin of ecosystems in the name of jobs and corporate growth. 

2. The United States illegal interventionism and human rights abuses overseas.

3. The corrupting influence of money in politics and the treatment of corporations as people.

We as a nation need to take the lead in the fight against climate change. It is infuriating that we still have people who ignore the science which clearly asserts that climate change is a reality. This issue must take precedence because unlike most issues that face our country, climate change affects everyone on the planet. 

Our current administration and leadership in the EPA refuse to acknowledge climate science, instead favoring big oil, coal, and industry. As most scientists say, we have reached a point of no return regarding the CO2 levels in the atmosphere. We cannot continue to destroy our environment in the name of short term gain. 

Before President Trump took office, in 2015 Florida's Department of Environmental Protection avoided the terms 'climate change' and 'global warming'. Did the President take a page from that book recently? 

Climate change is going to be a burden carried by the young generation, and I am not surprised that 70-year-old men like Trump do not care about the future environment because as far as he is concerned, it will not be his problem. 

Another area of concern that must be addressed is the United States foreign policy. The U.S has conducted (and continues to conduct) illegal wars of aggression on nations that do not pose a threat to the United States. 

We killed 200,000 civilians in the Iraq war; we have assisted in displacing 5 million Syrian civilians through bombing campaigns; we back Israel which continues to push illegal settlements onto Palestinian land; we run a drone program that kills the wrong people (mostly civilians) 90% of the time; we back 73% of the worlds dictatorships; the list of crimes is endless. 

We as a country need to look at our foreign policy as it really is: unchecked imperialism rife with human rights abuses. America needs politicians who will roll back our military interventionism and cut military spending. The first step to fixing this problem is exposing these crimes by bringing them to the mainstream. 

A 2015 Politico article reported the United States maintains 700+ military bases in over 70 countries worldwide. Photo from Pexels.

The national dialogue currently ignores these issues, but they must be addressed in order to preserve our republic and ensure that we have a healthy global community. 

While these issues are all woven together, the main issue standing in the way of reform is the major influence of money in politics. The reason we do not honestly discuss these issues is the fault of corporate interests that have influenced our politicians through campaign contributions. 

                  

These issues are too important to ignore. I do not feel that I live in a democracy. 

For example, although 83% of Americans favored Net Neutrality a, five person board overturned this important regulation. 

I am not just speaking for myself when I say I don’t feel represented. 

Our Congress gets anywhere from an 11-15% approval rating. Americans have been dissatisfied with our government for a long time now, and I believe it’s because it has not been representing the interests of the people.

To move forward, our generation must focus on electing congresspeople who refuse corporate money and vow to represent their constituents’ interests."