George Walford: From Minority to Majority (or Not)

The Ethidal Record for March 1987 quotes these figures from an article in Development Forum Nov-Dec 1986:

in 1830 there were in the world 1,000,000,000 people;
in 1930, 100 years later, 2,000,000,000;
in 1960, 30 years later, 3,000,000,000
in 1975, 15 years later, 4,000,000,000
in 1986/87, 12 years later, 5,000,000,000

In 1930 there were in the (A-)SPGB some 400 people;
In 1987 there are approximately 600.

While the world population increased by some 3,000,000,000 the number of British ‘socialists’ increased by some 200, and there is no reason to think their companion parties abroad did any better. They tell us they need a majority to gain their object; in order to get that majority they have, many hundreds of millions more people to win over now than they had in 1930.

The latest figure we have on hand for the rate of increase of world population is for 1974, when it was 76 million annually (Reader’s Digest, March 1974). If the (A-)SPGB claim to be making progress, or even holding their ground, perhaps they will tell us the annual rate of growth for themselves and their companion parties.

On the information we have, the result of their efforts over the past 57 years – nearly two generations – has been to take them farther from their goal.

Does this not confirm the contention of IC that it is something other than any reasonable hope of achieving ‘socialism’ that keeps them going?

from Ideological Commentary 27, May 1987.