Comments on concept of Brezhnevism: Leonid Brezhnev led the Soviet Union from 1964 (after Khruschev) till his death in 1982. His long rule shaped much of modern day revisionism and until the 1990s was the greatest influence numerically amongst those calling themselves communist in the West.

Because he ousted Khruschev and adopted a "neutral" policy toward Stalin, the Western imperialist press reviled him as harboring Stalinists. Although he replaced Khruschev, he kept the Soviet Union on a course to the right of Mao Zedong in China. Indeed, under Brezhnev, the phony Soviet Union actually carried out a border war against China and asked Nixon for permission to drop nuclear weapons on China.

Brezhnev's rule was known as a time of superpower contention with the United $tates. He pushed detente, but he also provided "aid" to Third World liberation struggles willing to adopt his party's revisionist theses. At the same time, people like Yeltsin and Gorbachev thrived under Brezhnev's rule and later came to criticize it for "stagnationism."

As a result of the open capitalist restoration in the Soviet Union, Brezhnevites are now much more friendly to Maoists. Many contend they are considering Mao's theses and no doubt in some cases it is a true claim.

As always, there is some contention over who should be included in this category. Some Trotskyists would say that the neo-Trotskyist "Workers World Party" should belong here, because of its geopolitical stances mirroring Brezhnevism. Since the Workers World Party continues to distribute biographical material more favorable to Trotsky than Stalin, we keep it in the neo-Trotskyist section.

Northstar Compass
Northstar Compass
280 Queen St. W., 2nd floor
Toronto, Ont. M5V 2A1
Canada
Fax: (416) 593-0781

Self description: "Dedicated to the Re-Establishment of the Soviet Union as a Socialist State"

"Northstar Compass is a monthly magazine containing the latest news and views of the struggles of the Soviet peoples against Yeltsin's capitalist regime and its imperialist backers. It includes English translations from communist and progressive newspapers in the former Soviet Union. These news items are not printed in the capitalist media."

Comments: Northstar Compass occupies a niche to the nominal left of the most left-wing social-democrats like the CP-USA and to the right of consistent Maoists. It consists of reprints of various communist and so-called communist organizations from the ex- Soviet Union for the consumption of Russians in Russia and Russophiles in the Western imperialist countries, especially Canada where it is based and the United $tates.

It is of note that Northstar Compass enjoys success focusing solely on Russia while Canadian issues take a distinct backburner position. It says something about the weakness of the movement at this time.

On the whole, the Northstar Compass seeks restoration of the Soviet Union too fast from MIM's point of view. It seems it has learned nothing from the struggle, because certainly the communist movement in the ex-Soviet Union must form a Maoist party to cleanse itself of the bourgeoisie in the party and the bourgeoisie of the ex-Soviet apparatus seeking restoration of itself in power in a certain way. As of yet, the majority of efforts Northstar Compass publicizes in the ex-Soviet Union have gained an increased appreciation of Stalin, but they have failed to come to grips with the need for continuous revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie in the party.

A restoration of the Soviet Union at this time would be done on a state-capitalist and national chauvinist basis. The ex-Soviet communist movement has much work ahead of it.

Further Info: "On the Communist Movement in the Ex-Soviet Union " MT13 ($7.50).
NSC activist says Northstar Compass not Brezhnevite; MIM rebuts
See, What is the difference between Stalinists/Hoxhaites and Maoists & a reply to the Red Banner Society

See http://www.northstarcompass.org/index.html