The editorial collective of Rochester Indymedia would like to reflect on the local and global stories and issues that arose in our community in 2008. We hope our recap motivates and builds enthusiasm for the new year.

In 2008, we saw the election of the first US President of color; we also saw the continued erosion of human rights and civil liberties, here and around the world. We saw the 5th year anniversary of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq and the escalation of US intervention in Afghanistan; we were delighted to see an Iraqi journalist throw "a farewell kiss to Bush." Continuing the Bush tradition of rewarding the incompetent and corrupt, we saw trillions of public dollars going to "bailout" the very financial elites who caused the current economic meltdown. Out of desperation we saw struggles for economic justice re-energized, in particular the successful occupation of Republic Windows and Doors by Chicago workers as well as the noncompliance and resistance to eviction notices by residents and their neighbors due to foreclosures.

These stories and many others came across our newswire this year and we've selected some highlights for your viewing pleasure!

•Bailout •Anti-War •Labor •Police/State Repression •Fighting Poverty •Free Free Palestine! •Queer/Trans Awareness •Separation of Church and State/Constitutional Battles •Immigrant Rights •Animal Rights •Challenging Corporate Media •Democratic and Republican National Conventions •Election '08 •Rochester Indymedia EXPLODES!

Rochester Indymedia would like to thank all the volunteers, contributors, and supporters of the work accomplished this year.

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This week on Indy TV, we talk with Hannah Dobbz, a flimmaker and writer, about her movie: "Shelter: a Squatumentary." Hannah screened her movie at St. Joe's in Rochester earlier this month.

"With universally skyrocketing property values, rent and home-ownership have become unaffordable at best and impossible at worst. Thus, people all over the world continue a long tradition of circumventing the expensive price tag and reclaiming this basic human right by squatting. Shelter: a Squatumentary is a documentary film that explores the squatting movement in the East Bay from 2004 to 2007. We follow three examples of the struggle for housing in an unaffordable marketplace such as the San Francisco Bay Area. Hellarity House, Banana House, and Power Machine are stories of squatters who have found one tentative solution to the ongoing housing crisis"

Those following Obama's earlier presidential campaign rhetoric recognize a substantial shift from his stump speech promises. Author Jeremy Scahill's Dec. 5th Alternet article ("Obama Doesn't Plan to End the Occupation in Iraq") notes Obama as recently as July telling his progressive anti-war constituency (a key voting block in his election), "I intend to end this war. My first day in office I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in, and I will give them a new mission, and that is to end this war — responsibly, deliberately, but decisively."

Obama's transitional website is now pledging to send an additional 65,000 American military personnel to Afghanistan, and expand the "Global War on Terror" (GWOT). An important feature of the expanded war on terror, according to the Obama website, will be the U.S. government's extensive investment in surveillance technology. The website also states that U.S. military incursions into Pakistan will be part of his plan for the "war on terror." Click here to read the full article.

The internet has been a flood lately with discussions on what anarchists, anti-authoritarians and others should do on January 20th.

On one side of the debate is the website hopefrompeople.com, who put out a call to form a "Celebrate People’s History and Build Popular Power" bloc. Signed by many high-profile figures, including Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, the site states:

As people striving toward a non hierarchical society, yes, we can—and should—be rigorously critical of Barack Obama. […]But not all heads of state are alike, and if we fail to recognize both the historical meaning and power of this particular moment, we will ensure our own irrelevance.

Perhaps, as people working to build a world from below without electoralism or statecraft, we also need to listen on January 20. It is neither the time nor the place to critique hope or excitement on the part of people who have engaged in grassroots struggles in so many ways and won a substantial victory.

Many strongly disagree with this idea though. On DC indymedia, an anonymous author posted a critique of the call

The quickest way for anyone to ensure their own irrelevance, especially in the face of seminal historical events such as this one, is to renege on one’s responsibility to offer true and honest analysis of the situation, as one sees it through one’s own eyes.

Is it a "victory" to be "celebrated" when we get our half a loaf? Or is it a set-back? If the sole motivation for being given half a loaf is to dissuade us from revolution, to restore our faith in the supposedly “representative” nature of liberal democracy, aren’t we dutifully serving the interests of the ruling class we purport to oppose by acting as agents of conduit for the very lies they seek to spread?

The discussion continued on many rochester email lists and face-to-face conversations (post 1, post 2). It seems the radical community is split on how to respond to the this historic election.

So what do you think? How should people respond to Obama's inauguration? What plans do you have for the 20th? Click the link below, and let's discuss.