Final answer:
The statement in question is referring to the critique or labeling of someone as a socialist, reflecting the complex history of socialist thought from the revolutionary ideas of Mikhail Bakunin to the way the term is used in modern political discourse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank - Mr B' refers to a character's opinion on someone else, likely reflecting the political discussions and criticisms of socialism during a certain time period. In the late nineteenth century, radical politics in Russia were heavily influenced by apocalyptic revolutionary socialist ideas, notably those of Mikhail Bakunin.
Bakunin championed a vision of utopian socialism that would arise from the ashes of the destroyed existing order. This type of socialism, distinct from state socialism advocated by thinkers like Louis Blanc, was skeptical of the bourgeois aspirations of the industrial working class and sought a revolution that would overthrow both the political system and social structures like the family unit.
In modern times, the term socialist is often used in different political contexts, sometimes as a derogatory label, as seen in U.S. politics where certain candidates are pejoratively branded as socialists to question their patriotism or political motives.