IC argues that the majority of those workers who have repeatedly heard the case for socialism reject it and that (in the view of
IC they are right to do so. This is because the Party’s arguments are self-contradictory and cancel themselves out.
However, in putting forward this view
IC is presenting itself with a problem. The problem is that nearly all the people who “reject” the case for socialism do not do so for the reasons outlined by
IC. Most workers familiar with the Party’s arguments do not sit around bemoaning the fact that they are told the working class runs society “from top to bottom” and performs all the useful functions in society, while’ the capitalists are described as “functionaries.” No doubt
IC would like this to be the case, but the fact remains that it is not. Most workers do not see glaring contradictions in the Party’s arguments (and it is no good stating that they do, but just don’t realise it). Workers reject the Party case for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the SP is so small as to lack credibility. – encouraging the view that’ doing something “in the meantime” is a worthwhile activity. The so-called “human nature” argument is another obstacle that the Party has to face, recognizing that very often such arguments have a religious basis. ...