MacColl was representing the aggrieved outlook of an old, mostly UK-based folk establishment who were thoroughly irritated by the rapid rise and success of what must have seemed to them to be a motley and inexperienced and upstart bunch of feckless semi-talented youngsters from the USA...Dylan, Baez, Buffy-Sainte-Marie, and all the rest of them.

As such, it was the typical kind of reaction that an older establishment usually has to the new kids bursting onto the scene and changing the styles.

I wouldn't give it any more importance than it deserves, and it doesn't deserve a whole lot. Both MacColl and Dylan were wonderful at what they did...they just didn't happen to do exactly the same thing, that's all, and they represented different eras in folk music.

Dylan (in the early to mid-60's) often expressed contempt and dismissal for the old folkies of his day ("a bunch of fat old people sitting around playing guitars")...just as MacColl and some of his peers at that time expressed contempt and dismissal for Dylan and some of the young folkies. It was a case of age-based prejudice on both sides, as far as I can see.

Bob is much more generous toward the older folk veterans of his day now, as can be ascertained by reading his great book "Chronicles - Volume 1".