About

Capitalism is in deep crisis — economic, ecological, and ideological crisis. Increasingly, from Zuccotti Park to Syntagma Square, there have been demonstrations of mass disapproval with the status quo. Yet at the moment when systemic change seems both necessary and desired, the left itself is in crisis, presenting no alternative to capitalism, and no outlet for discontent other than mere resistance.

A renewed radical left is urgently needed. The North Star aims to facilitate this process. We are not a vanguard or the nucleus of the revolution. Rather, our only party line is that we have no party line — except for a firm belief that a culture of open debate is required for building a left with real political muscle.

The North Star is a forum for discussion, debate, and “the ruthless criticism of everything existing.”

This project is partly inspired by the North Star Network, a Marxist group founded by Peter Camejo in the 1980s. While we are internationalists in the best of the radical tradition, we are particularly committed to rebuilding the American left. Camejo believed that the future of radical politics in this country lay not with the existing three-letter left groups but elsewhere. Taking its name from Frederick Douglass’s first newspaper, the network sought to throw off the baggage of dogmatism and sectarianism plaguing American Marxism, emphasizing the importance of democratic, open debate.

Editors: Pham Binh, Ben Campbell, Ismael Diablada

Articles posted here reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of the editors or other participants. We prioritize posting material that we think merits serious discussion. We hope you’ll join the discussion, which is moderated in adherence to our commenting policy.

For submissions, or to collaborate with The North Star, e-mail us at editors [at] thenorthstar.info.