Bob Dylan performs as part of a double bill with Neil Young at Hyde Park on July 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for ABA)
The Times They Ain't a-Changing
Charity doesn’t change the times. Redistributing assets does.
I've never been a Bob Dylan fan, and the Nobel Prize winner's sale of his archive to Universal Music changed nothing about that. In fact, sing as he might about how The Times They are a-Changing, Dylan's deal, worth an estimated $300 million to him, changed nothing about anything.
But it could have been different.
Dylan, pre-sale, had assets worth an estimated $200 million. Post-sale, he'll have half-a billion. If he lives to 100, he'll have to spend $25 million a year for the rest of his life to spend it down. More, if he invests.
Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity.
Come the holidays, Dylan may write some checks to charity. That's nice. People who have money and give some away can help those in immediate need. But they're not changing the times.
The times, and the tax code, mean that those with capital assets are taxed more leniently than those who live off wages. Dylan will pay a maximum of 20 percent on the gains from the sale of his music. The wage-earner doing well will max out at 37%. The tax code rewards charitable donations, but every deduction claimed shrinks what's available to pay for public services like schools and hospitals and libraries--all things that just might help those without wealth get a leg up.
Charity doesn't change the times. Redistributing assets does. As Marjorie Kelly of the Democracy Collaborative says, "Every economy is defined by who owns and controls assets."
What else could Dylan have done? Since 1966, the commercial rights to the song "We Shall Overcome" have been held by a fund at the Highlander movement training school in Tennessee. Highlander has played a role in every times-changing movement from Rosa Parks to Stacy Abrams.
Anyone can sing the song, but the song's commercial use is overseen by a community board, and whatever you think about private copyrights, the royalties have funded decades of grants to Black artists/activists selected democratically.
"It's not complicated to replicate what we've done," says Ashlee Woodard Henderson of Highlander.
But it is game-changing. Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity. Now, how about even one song?
I nominate The Times They Are a-Changing. What assets are you shifting this season?
You can watch the Laura Flanders Show and see our recent coverage of food justice at lauraflanders.org. And we're in fundraising mode. If you feel like shifting some assets our way, you can at www.lauraflanders.org/donate.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
I've never been a Bob Dylan fan, and the Nobel Prize winner's sale of his archive to Universal Music changed nothing about that. In fact, sing as he might about how The Times They are a-Changing, Dylan's deal, worth an estimated $300 million to him, changed nothing about anything.
But it could have been different.
Dylan, pre-sale, had assets worth an estimated $200 million. Post-sale, he'll have half-a billion. If he lives to 100, he'll have to spend $25 million a year for the rest of his life to spend it down. More, if he invests.
Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity.
Come the holidays, Dylan may write some checks to charity. That's nice. People who have money and give some away can help those in immediate need. But they're not changing the times.
The times, and the tax code, mean that those with capital assets are taxed more leniently than those who live off wages. Dylan will pay a maximum of 20 percent on the gains from the sale of his music. The wage-earner doing well will max out at 37%. The tax code rewards charitable donations, but every deduction claimed shrinks what's available to pay for public services like schools and hospitals and libraries--all things that just might help those without wealth get a leg up.
Charity doesn't change the times. Redistributing assets does. As Marjorie Kelly of the Democracy Collaborative says, "Every economy is defined by who owns and controls assets."
What else could Dylan have done? Since 1966, the commercial rights to the song "We Shall Overcome" have been held by a fund at the Highlander movement training school in Tennessee. Highlander has played a role in every times-changing movement from Rosa Parks to Stacy Abrams.
Anyone can sing the song, but the song's commercial use is overseen by a community board, and whatever you think about private copyrights, the royalties have funded decades of grants to Black artists/activists selected democratically.
"It's not complicated to replicate what we've done," says Ashlee Woodard Henderson of Highlander.
But it is game-changing. Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity. Now, how about even one song?
I nominate The Times They Are a-Changing. What assets are you shifting this season?
You can watch the Laura Flanders Show and see our recent coverage of food justice at lauraflanders.org. And we're in fundraising mode. If you feel like shifting some assets our way, you can at www.lauraflanders.org/donate.
I've never been a Bob Dylan fan, and the Nobel Prize winner's sale of his archive to Universal Music changed nothing about that. In fact, sing as he might about how The Times They are a-Changing, Dylan's deal, worth an estimated $300 million to him, changed nothing about anything.
But it could have been different.
Dylan, pre-sale, had assets worth an estimated $200 million. Post-sale, he'll have half-a billion. If he lives to 100, he'll have to spend $25 million a year for the rest of his life to spend it down. More, if he invests.
Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity.
Come the holidays, Dylan may write some checks to charity. That's nice. People who have money and give some away can help those in immediate need. But they're not changing the times.
The times, and the tax code, mean that those with capital assets are taxed more leniently than those who live off wages. Dylan will pay a maximum of 20 percent on the gains from the sale of his music. The wage-earner doing well will max out at 37%. The tax code rewards charitable donations, but every deduction claimed shrinks what's available to pay for public services like schools and hospitals and libraries--all things that just might help those without wealth get a leg up.
Charity doesn't change the times. Redistributing assets does. As Marjorie Kelly of the Democracy Collaborative says, "Every economy is defined by who owns and controls assets."
What else could Dylan have done? Since 1966, the commercial rights to the song "We Shall Overcome" have been held by a fund at the Highlander movement training school in Tennessee. Highlander has played a role in every times-changing movement from Rosa Parks to Stacy Abrams.
Anyone can sing the song, but the song's commercial use is overseen by a community board, and whatever you think about private copyrights, the royalties have funded decades of grants to Black artists/activists selected democratically.
"It's not complicated to replicate what we've done," says Ashlee Woodard Henderson of Highlander.
But it is game-changing. Donated to a movement organization, Dylan's publishing rights could have fueled change-makers in perpetuity. Now, how about even one song?
I nominate The Times They Are a-Changing. What assets are you shifting this season?
You can watch the Laura Flanders Show and see our recent coverage of food justice at lauraflanders.org. And we're in fundraising mode. If you feel like shifting some assets our way, you can at www.lauraflanders.org/donate.