🌺 Colonial Karma: The Poinsettia's Problematic Past

How a diplomatic disaster became America's favorite Christmas flower

Dec 18, 2024

🙊 Notable quotes from the show

"Only 23% of Americans are actually eligible for military service" - Gen. Buchanan, revealing shocking recruitment challenges
"100% of GDP gains since 1982-1983 have gone to the top 10% of earners" - Shelly Fishman, exposing wealth inequality
"Joel Poinsett has a very poor reputation in Mexico" - Gen. Buchanan, understating colonial tensions
"We're generating strong job growth statewide, well in excess of what we're seeing nationally" - Dr. Hammond, painting a rosy economic picture while glossing over inequality

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

Imagine a TV show where grown-ups talk about money, jobs, and how things cost too much these days. They discovered that while some people in Arizona are getting richer, many families are having trouble buying homes because they're super expensive now - like $350,000! They also talked about how Christmas flowers have a surprising history, robots being used in wars, and how the Army is having trouble finding new soldiers because many young people aren't healthy enough or prepared enough to join.

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🗝️ Takeaways

🔍 Arizona's booming economy masks deepening inequality and housing crisis 🌿 Even Christmas decorations can't escape colonialism's long shadow 📊 Trump-era tax cuts primarily benefited the wealthy, shocking absolutely no one 🎮 AI and drones are reshaping modern warfare faster than ethics can keep up 🏦 Fed's interest rate decisions continue to play ping-pong with working people's futures

📻 What They Discussed

The December 17, 2024, edition of the Buckmaster Show, hosted by veteran broadcaster Bill Buckmaster, brought together a powerhouse panel of experts to dissect everything from economic forecasts to military affairs.

The lineup included Dr. George Hammond from UA's Eller College, who offered economic insights that would make even the Federal Reserve take notes; Shelly Fishman, a financial wizard who's not afraid to call out systemic inequalities; and Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan (Ret.), whose expertise spans wildlife conservation to international security.

🌺 Poinsettia: A Name Rooted in Colonial History

Here's a holiday reality check that might make you reconsider your seasonal decor: The beloved Christmas flower we know as the poinsettia has a name tainted with colonial misconduct.

As General Buchanan diplomatically pointed out, Joel Poinsett, America's first minister to Mexico in the early 1800s, "has a very poor reputation in Mexico."

But let's dig deeper into why: Poinsett, appointed by President Andrew Jackson, was essentially a diplomatic disaster who couldn't keep his hands out of Mexico's internal affairs. Historical records show he actively interfered with Mexican politics, supported opposition groups against the legitimate government, and even orchestrated political intrigues that contributed to instability in the newly independent nation.

In a classic case of colonial appropriation, he took the sacred Aztec plant (known in Nahuatl as Cuetlaxochitl) back to the United States, slapped his name on it, and voilà – cultural theft complete.

The Mexicans wisely rejected this colonial naming convention and called it "Flor de Nochebuena" (Christmas Eve flower), maintaining their cultural connection to this Indigenous plant. This is yet another reminder that even our holiday traditions can't escape the long shadow of historical imperialism.

📈 Economic Outlook: Growth for Some, Struggles for Many

In a testament to capitalism's selective prosperity, Dr. Hammond painted a picture of Arizona's economy that's booming – if you're in the right tax bracket, that is.

While celebrating "strong job growth statewide," the elephant in the room is Tucson's median home price of $350,000, making the American Dream more like the American Pipe Dream for many working families.

And hold onto your holiday hats – proposed policies on tariffs and mass deportations could turn this economic party into a recession real quick.

💹 Financial Markets: Where the Rich Get Richer

Shelly Fishman, dropping truth bombs about wealth inequality, revealed that "100% of GDP gains since 1982-1983" have gone to the top 10% of earners.

Talk about a trickle-down economics fairy tale!

While the market might be up 20% this year, try paying rent with that statistic when you're in the bottom 40% of earners who've seen virtually no benefits from Trump-era tax cuts.

🦌 Wildlife Conservation: When Science Meets Tradition - The Battle Between Hounds and Humanity

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission finds itself in the crosshairs of controversy as conservation groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, take aim at dog-assisted hunting. While General Buchanan diplomatically tiptoed around taking a stance (he's still got to vote on this hot potato, after all), the debate perfectly encapsulates our evolving relationship with wildlife management and the thorny question of what constitutes "fair chase."

The concept of "fair chase" – essentially the "don't be a jerk while hunting" rule – has become the centerpiece of this debate. It's defined as pursuing "free-range wildlife in a manner that does not give a hunter or an angler someone fishing improper or unfair advantage over such wildlife."

In other words, maybe letting Fido do all the heavy lifting isn't exactly sporting?

But here's where it gets interesting: General Buchanan, wearing his scientist hat, dropped some inconvenient truth bombs for the anti-hunting crowd. Both bear and mountain lion populations are actually thriving – bears are increasing, and mountain lions are holding steady. "It's not like these animals have any population decline issues," he noted, essentially saying this isn't about conservation so much as ethics.

The Lake Havasu News Herald jumped into the fray, melodramatically warning against "fear-mongering that threatens the balance between ethics, conservation, and heritage." Because apparently, nothing says "heritage" quite like unleashing a pack of hounds on wildlife.

Stay tuned for the commission's decision on whether tradition trumps what some might call basic fairness.

🌍 Global Military Affairs: Technology's New Battleground

The discussion of AI and drone warfare in Ukraine showed how even the battlefield isn't immune to Silicon Valley's influence.

General Buchanan's revelation that only 23% of Americans qualify for military service speaks volumes about our society's priorities in education and health. Meanwhile, Syria's rapid regime change and Iran's declining influence demonstrate how quickly regional power dynamics can shift in our interconnected world.

In truly progressive fashion, this episode of the Buckmaster Show unpacked everything from colonial plant names to the military-industrial complex's latest tech toys. It also reminded us that economic statistics mean nothing if they don't translate into actual quality-of-life improvements for all Americans, not just the privileged few.

👯 People Mentioned

Bill Buckmaster - Host, celebrating 15 years of broadcasting
Dr. George Hammond - UA Economic prophet of prosperity who occasionally remembers to mention the less fortunate
Shelly Fishman - Financial advisor turned inequality whistleblower
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan - Retired military leader who traded war rooms for wildlife conservation
Joel Poinsett - Historical figure who managed to mess up both diplomacy AND botany
Pete Hegseth - Potential future Defense Secretary whose qualifications seem to begin and end with "seems like a smart guy"
Assad - Syrian dictator whose regime crumbled faster than last year's Christmas cookies
Trump - Former/future president whose tax cuts apparently never met a working class person they liked