The Heatwave

26 - Scratch a liberal, a fascist bleeds

How different are the liberals and conservatives of this country? Though liberals may frame themselves as polar opposites to their "bigoted" right-wing counterparts, they ultimately find themselves defending the violence enacted by the Amerikan Empire. Uncritical analysis and blind belief in this country's systems and institutions have literally killed a revolutionary movement calling to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people in less than two years. Cries to abolish the police and invest in community resources have somehow morphed into support and applause for increased police funding. White liberal social media infographic-type activists are now defending and even directing people to send funds to the Azov Battalion, an ultra-right-wing white nationalist Neo-Nazi paramilitary integrated into Ukraine's military. War, imperialism, and white supremacy are the things that this so-called democracy has bipartisanship behind. When the US sounds the drums of war, both liberals and conservatives are in lockstep marching to the same beat.
If you’re interested in getting in touch with us, feel free to hit us up on Instagram, Twitter, and The Heatwave’s Instagram. If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at Mecha de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: La Recompenza - Don Omar feat. Gallego
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

25 - African American Experience in Tempe

For one to fully understand history, one must understand who created it. African American Experience in Tempe by Jared Smith is a city-backed booklet that attempts to document the lived context of the first Black residents in the community. Black residents in Tempe—as with the rest of the country—were repeatedly denied a quality life and were unfortunately erased from most of the city's written history. This booklet tried to highlight the progress made towards a “more inclusive” Tempe, while trying to acknowledge its legacy of racial segregation, housing covenants, and terrorization by the KKK. While this text concluded by stating that much progress has been made, we all know too well there are still remnants of its abhorrent past.
If you’re interested in getting in touch with us, feel free to hit us up on Instagram, Twitter, and The Heatwave’s Instagram. If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at Mecha de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Un Solo Golpe - Los Esplifs
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

24 - Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat by J. Sakai

The so-called US is fundamentally a project of exclusion. In the so-called "Land of the Free'', Amerikan society has necessitated the dispossession and displacement of peoples from within and abroad. Built on Indigenous genocide, African enslavement, and immigrant labor, the blood of the colonized has been the backbone of society and it continues to be that way. Even through attempts of so-called reforms and labor movements, the settleristic nature of the Amerikan empire incentivizes so-called working-class whites to uphold the project. This presents the question: are Euro-Amerikans truly part of the working-class? What will it take to have a successful revolution within Babylon itself? Can revolution even happen in the first place? In this *special* episode of The Heatwave, we decided to record our latest Mecha Book Club discussion where we answered these exact questions by discussing the renowned communist text, Settlers: The Myth of the White Proletariat by J. Sakai. This is part two of our discussion so we only discussed the last seven chapters. It was a very fruitful discussion and we hope y’all enjoy it! 
If you’re interested in getting in touch with us, feel free to hit us up on Instagram, Twitter, and The Heatwave’s Instagram. If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at Mecha de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: 1491 - Navy Blue
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

23 - A Babylon Whose Life is Death

COVID cases are higher than ever before and yet Ducey has made absolutely no effort to control the rate of infection and keep people safe. Rather, he's decided to use federal relief money to support schools that have no COVID-19 related mandates, a decision which the US Treasury Department has threatened to sue him for. Despite incentivizing the endangerment of students and staff, Ducey has insisted that schools in Arizona remain open for in-person learning. Reckless decisions like these trivialize death and dull us to the suffering of the immunocompromised and chronically ill. The money machine stops at nothing, not even at the cost of human life. In this episode, we discuss the systemic failings of the dollar bill death cult we so-call the United States of AmeriKKKa.
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Ground Zero - Injury Reserve
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

22 - We‘re all gatekeepers of our own destiny

Culture, by intent, is not political but due to its existence in a society that has a political material base, art can demonstrate the dynamism that politics can have in every aspect of society. The children's movie, Nacho Libre—loved by some and unknown by many—is a film that beautifully portrays the realities many people around the world live under. In this episode of The Heatwave, we analyze these machinations to further understand the society we live in. Even though the silliness, movies like these can give us a further understanding of how pervasive the capitalist superstructure can affect our day-to-day lives.
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Religious Man (Hombre Religioso) - Mister Loco
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

21 - A Façade of Settlerism

Four hundred years ago, the First Thanksgiving was held. According to legend, the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag shared a feast to celebrate their harvest and give thanks to God for the blessings of the past year. This picturesque scene conveniently scrubs away the destruction and displacement of indigenous peoples at the hands of European settlers bent on colonial expansion. Discontent with their condition, those colonizers would slaughter and steal until they expanded their empire across the entire North American continent. A yearly day of thanksgiving cannot mask 400 years of colonial greed. In this episode, we discuss the myth of Thanksgiving, the Pequot Massacre, the irony around Black Friday, and more. Land back!
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Part-Time Indian - Mato
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

20 - The Infallibility of Whiteness

Arizona State University—where students of color are threatened with expulsion and disciplinary action for defending a multicultural space from racist rhetoric, yet, Kenosha Killer Kyle Rittenhouse is allowed both enrollments into the university and granted over $14,000 in donations by an ASU student group to pay for legal fees. WE truly live in a society. In this episode, we discuss the events that set off our joker moments and much much more.
Link to the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/asu-drop-the-charges?source=direct_link& 
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Free The Robots - Capital Steez
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

19 - The Cycle of Displacement w/ Alexia Isais

Gentrification, just like any other political topic, has been unfortunately co-opted by many people in the so-called liberal left. Becoming a political buzzword in many circles, the word has been devoid of its true meaning. To bring light to the issue, we recorded a special interview with our comrade from PSL Phoenix, Alexia Isais, to discuss her recently-published article that covered the true consequences that gentrification has had on the working class in Tempe, Arizona. 
Link to article: https://www.liberationnews.org/tempe-az-the-real-costs-of-gentrification/
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: BMT! - JPEGMAFIA
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

18 - #DEFENDMSC

Are you willing to tell the truth even if it means making others uncomfortable? Do you enjoy fiercely arguing for your political principles? Is this a good mindset to have? To what extent is it helpful? To what extent can it hurt the cause? In this episode of The Heatwave, we discuss the merits of the eristic argument, address the problem of child marriage in America, and examine the school's failure to ensure a safe environment for marginalized students within its multicultural center.
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: I’ve Seen Footage - Death Grips
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!

17 - The Power of Community

Self-care, limited to momentary relief and escape, can never truly address the sources of our suffering. What do we need to do to actually solve our dilemmas? In this episode, we discuss the individual pursuit of happiness, failures of the nuclear family, the Texas anti-abortion law, and the power of the community.
If you’re interested in hitting us up, feel free to contact us on IG and Twitter (@mechadeasu and @thwpod). If you’re interested in joining a local org, we highly recommend joining us at MECHA de ASU, PSL Phoenix, or PSL Tucson!
Outro song: Never Let Me Down - Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, and J. Ivy
The struggle continues, ¡Venceremos!