(Read from the bottom up; I thought he was a professor!)
Dear Amos:
I feel a compulsion to convert the heathen. I’ve already published on most of these issues, so here goes:
1. Abortion is murder and never justified:
30. Block, Walter E. 2021. Evictionism: The compromise solution to the pro-life pro-choice debate controversy. Springer Publishing Company.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-5014-7;
For reviewers: https://www.springer.com/gp/reviewers; https://www.springer.com/gp/instructors/textbook-copy-request-us/17556774;
https://dam.springernature.com/preview/8qkJz6AE4NVAo0r_q1x9IT/previews/maxWidth_600.png?&authcred=YXBpX2V4dGVybjpndWVzdA; file:///C:/Users/WBlock/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/HK3CWM0N/Block%20Evictionism%20The%20compromise%20solution%20to%20the%20pro-life%20pro-choice%20debate%20controversy%20(Walter%20E.%20Block)%20(z-lib.org).pdf; https://b-ok.cc/book/18608872/f7d2ac;
A unique perspective to the pro-life, pro-choice debate. Explores themes of property rights in relation to human life and rights. Offers a balanced debate on the topic of human rights.
Evicitionism- The compromise solution to the pro-life pro-choice debate controversy__.pdf
file:///C:/Users/WBlock/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/0AGF02JT/__Evicitionism-%20The%20compromise%20solution%20to%20the%20pro-life%20pro-choice%20debate%20controversy__.pdf
2.Private eduction funding should be as high as people agree upon. Public education funding should be zero.
Whitehead, Roy and Walter E. Block. 1999. “Mandatory Student Fees: Forcing Some to Pay for the Free Speech of Others,” Whittier Law Review, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 759-781; http://141.164.133.3/faculty/Block/Blockarticles/mfearningdifferentials.htm; http://141.164.133.3/faculty/Block/Blockarticles/mandatoryfees.htm
Whitehead, Roy and Walter E. Block. 2000. “Direct Payment of State Scholarship Funds to Church-Related Colleges Offends the Constitution and Title VI,” Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 191-207; http://tinyurl.com/2dwelf; http://141.164.133.3/faculty/Block/Blockarticles/directpymt.htm;
Young, Andrew and Walter E. Block. 1999. “Enterprising Education: Doing Away with the Public School System,” International Journal of Value Based Management, Vol.12, No. 3, pp. 195-207; http://www.mises.org/etexts/enterprisingedu.pdf; http://www.mises.org/story/2216; http://www.walterblock.com/publications/enterprising_education.pdf; http://www.mises.org/story/2216; https://mises.org/library/enterprising-education-doing-away-public-school-system?utm_source=Mises+Institute+Subscriptions&utm_campaign=b769abd2e7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_9_21_2018_9_59_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8b52b2e1c0-b769abd2e7-227976965
3.Pollution. Here’s the best thing ever written on that subject:
Rothbard, Murray N. 1982. “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution,” Cato Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring; reprinted in Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Walter E. Block, ed., Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1990, pp. 233-279. http://www.mises.org/rothbard/lawproperty.pdf; http://mises.org/story/2120
Here are some other good readings:
Block, 1994, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2012; DiLorenzo, 1990; Gordon, 2021; Horwitz, 1977; Lewin, 1982; McGee and Block, 1994; Rockwell, 2000; Rothbard, 1982
Block, Walter E. 1994. “Pollution,” Cliches of Politics, Mark Spengler, ed., Irvington on Hudson, New York: Foundation for Economic Education, pp. 267-270
Block, Walter E. 1998. “Environmentalism and Economic Freedom: The Case for Private Property Rights,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 17, No. 6, December, pp. 1887-1899; http://www.mises.org/etexts/environfreedom.pdf;
http://141.164.133.3/faculty/Block/Blockarticles/environmentalism.htm; Romanian translation: www.antiteze.com; http://mises.org/Etexts/Environfreedom.Pdf
Block, Walter E. 2009. “Contra Watermelons.” Ethics, Place & Environment, Vol. 12, Issue 3, October, pp. 305 – 308; http://mises.org/daily/4209; http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a916452684&fulltext=713240928
Block, Walter E. 2011. “Ron Paul and the Environment.” December 13;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/block/block189.html
Block, Walter E. 2012. “Global Warming, Air Pollution and Libertarianism.” January 18;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/block/block195.html
DiLorenzo, Thomas. 1990. “Does Capitalism Cause Pollution?,” St. Louis, Washington University: Center for the Study of American Business, Contemporary Issues Series 38.
Gordon, David. 2021. “Can Taxation Be Justified?” August 13;
https://mises.org/library/can-taxation-be-justified
Horwitz, Morton J. 1977. The Transformation of American Law: 1780-1860, Cambridge: Harvard University Press
Lewin, Peter. 1982. “Pollution Externalities: Social Cost and Strict Liability.” Cato Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, Spring, pp. 205-229.
McGee, Robert W. and Walter E. Block. 1994. “Pollution Trading Permits as a Form of Market Socialism and the Search for a Real Market Solution to Environmental Pollution,” Fordham University Law and Environmental Journal, Vol. VI, No. 1, Fall, pp. 51-77; http://www.walterblock.com/publications/pollution_trading_permits.pdf. Translated into Russian, and published in № 3б, 2007 of “Ekonomicheskaya Politika” (Economic Policy) Journal; http://tinyurl.com/263787; http://141.164.133.3/exchange/walterblock/Inbox/Fwd:.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_2_m%D1%81gee-block.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/m%D1%81gee-block.pdf?attach=1; http://www.walterblock.com/translations.php;
http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1374&context=elr
Rockwell, Jr. Llewellyn. 2000. “The Enviro-Skeptic’s Manifesto.” May 1;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/anti-enviro.html
Rothbard, Murray N. 1982. “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution,” Cato Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring; reprinted in Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Walter E. Block, ed., Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1990, pp. 233-279. http://www.mises.org/rothbard/lawproperty.pdf; http://mises.org/story/2120
Block, Walter E. 1998. “Environmentalism and Economic Freedom: The Case for Private Property Rights,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 17, No. 6, December, pp. 1887-1899; http://www.mises.org/etexts/environfreedom.pdf;
4. Statues:
I want to have statues of Hitler and Stalin on my private property (to throw eggs at, or, to pray to). What justification do you offer to compel me to take down these statues? Or to do so over my objections?
There shouldn’t be any statues on govt streets or highways since they should all be privatized:
Block, Walter E. 2009. The Privatization of Roads and Highways: Human and Economic Factors; Auburn, AL: The Mises Institute; https://store.mises.org/Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-Human-and-Economic-Factors-The-P581.aspx; http://www.amazon.com/Privatization-Roads-And-Highways-Factors/dp/1279887303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336605800&sr=1-1; available for free here: http://mises.org/books/roads_web.pdf; http://mises.org/daily/3416; http://www.walterblock.com/wp-content/uploads/publications/radical_privatization.pdf; audio: http://store.mises.org/Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-Audiobook-P11005.aspx; http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-Audiobook/B0167IT18K?tag=misesinsti-20; http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bf16b152ccc444bdbbcc229e4&id=6cbc90577b&e=54244ea97d;
http://www.sanfranciscoreviewofbooks.com/2017/09/book-review-privatization-of-roads-and.html
Best regards,
Walter
From: Amos
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Walter:
You can kidnap me, but I don’t think my head would look good in a blanket. Find something else.
My mistaken political views: I guess they’re a bit of a mix-up. I’m mainly focused on philosophy of religion, but when I think about politics I try to take it issue by issue. Maybe when I’m old enough to be a boomer I’ll look back and try to sort them into an ideological grouping. I don’t have many political views, but here are some things I do believe:
(1) I’m agnostic about whether abortion is homicide, but I would ban it out of moral risk. This is caveated by the standard exemption (life of the mother), but also by the abortion method: abortions done by way of blocking implantation should not be banned, even if the foetus is a person with a right to life. (I explain why in a paper I wrote, but that’s currently under review).
(2) Higher education funding should be cut to the barest minimum. (Possibly even less). This is quite libertarian of me.
(3) Carbon should be taxed to mitigate climate change. Other government interventions might work, but I’m not sure what those are.
(4) Statues of people who committed serious rights violations should be taken down. If the government refuses to take them down, it can be permissible for protestors to vandalise them.
I have other views, but they are largely unexamined and only tacitly held. (The other day I realised that I though MMT was a bad thing, even though I only barely know what it is and haven’t read anything by its defenders.)
No doubts you’ll have lots of thoughts about all of this. Resist the temptation to write a second dissertation in response. You need your sleep.
Best wishes,
Amos.
From: Walter Block
To: Amos Wollen
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Amos:
Yes, we do have a similar sense of humor.
If someone throws a blanket over you head, kidnaps you and brings you to New Orleans, and compels you to enroll at Loyola, it’ll be me. I’ll be working on how I can reconcile this with libertarianism.
What are your present (e.g., mistaken) political views?
Best regards,
Walter
From: Amos
Sent: Friday, September 2, 2022 5:12 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Walter:
I’m sure it will be. I’m not a libertarian at the moment – not even the wussy kind – but I’m open to being persuaded of a political philosophy, even *sighs deeply* yours. That said, I look forward to forcing you to renounce your entire life’s work.
Only joking of course,
Amos.
From: Walter Block
To: Amos Wollen
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Amos:
Go easy on me, please! I’m an old man! My age is the inverse of your 18!
On a more serious note, it will be a pleasure to debate these issues with you, and convert you into a radical deontological libertarian, instead of your present wussy libertarianism!
Best regards,
Walter
From: Amos
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Walter:
Whew! Just finished reading. That was one helluva piece. Compliments gratefully received.
Don’t feel horrid – you have nothing to be sorry about. If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. I think we have a pretty similar sense of humour; the chippiness is part of the fun.
I’ll try to get my response typed up and submitted as soon as I can.
Best wishes,
Amos.
From: Walter Block
To: Amos Wollen
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Amos:
Whoa. Wow. You sure fooled me. May I ask how old are you?
Best regards,
Walter
From: Amos
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Hi Walter:
Thanks. Yes, that should be fine 🙂
Not a professor anywhere! Just got out of secondary school, and will be a first year undergrad at Oxford in about a month.
Best,
Amos.
From: Walter Block
To: Amos Wollen
Subject: RE: Conjoined twins
Dear Amos:
Here’s an attachment, not a shareable link. I hope and trust that will suffice.
May I ask where are you a professor at?
Best regards,
Walter
From: Amos
Subject: Conjoined twins
Hi Walter! Amos here. Just saw your response to my article on the Philosophia website. Unfortunately, I don’t have institutional access – would you mind sending me the shareable link?
Looking forward to reading,
Amos.
3:17 pm on October 6, 2022
