Tim McGraw

Last week, it was a Nathan Fryzek special: my multipart correspondence with Nathan (https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/nathan-fryzek/). Now it is Tim McGraw’s turn. Not all of these are fascinating, but some are. My highpoint is letter 8. The most philosophically important one is letter 13, the very last one. Here is my multipart correspondence with Tim:

Letter 1:

On Sat, Feb 29, 2020, 1:25 PM Tim McGraw <[email protected]> wrote:

I’ve listened to three episodes so far and really like them

You are a fascinating Libertarian thinker, author, and speaker.

Your examples to make a point are amazing. That Libertarian Concentration Camp Guard example was very interesting.

Tim

—–Original Message—–

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sat, Feb 29, 2020 6:33 am

Subject: Re: Woods to guest: what the $#^&@ is wrong with you?

How’d you like it

On Wed, Feb 26, 2020, 9:19 PM Tim McGraw <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Tom,

Walter Block is one of my heroes. We don’t agree on everything (reparations comes to mind), but I love the guy.

I look forward to listening to the Walter Block episodes on the Tom Woods Show.

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

—–Original Message—–

From: Tom Woods <[email protected]>

To: mcgrawtim123 <[email protected]>

Sent: Wed, Feb 26, 2020 3:11 pm

Subject: Woods to guest: what the $#^&@ is wrong with you?

A glorious moment.

View in browser

Academics who get 40-50 articles published in peer-reviewed journals are considered to have had distinguished careers.

Walter Block has had over 600.

His famous book, Defending the Undefendable (which John Stossel says was one of three books that convinced him of libertarianism), takes a second look at a rogues’ gallery of popular villains, and explains their roles without moral condemnation.

During Walter Block week on the Tom Woods Show, we focused on some alleged villains in the economic sphere: the corporate raider, the multinational enterpriser, the hatchet man, the slumlord, the picket-line crosser, and more.

Walter is releasing a third volume in his Defending series in 2021, so I asked him for a sneak preview of the people he’ll be defending there.

As soon as he began, I shouted: “Walter, stop! Stop! I can’t take it anymore!”

My single favorite moment in nearly 1600 episodes of the Tom Woods Show.

At another point I said, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Good times.

Walter is controversial, but I know my listeners can handle it.

He’s also a great teacher. Listen to his effortless defenses of people we have been taught to despise. Brilliant.

They’re episodes 1592-1596:

http://www.tomwoods.com/episodes

Meanwhile, here’s my video on how to take your lazy bum of a website and force it to carry its own weight by bringing in some smackers for you:

http://www.tomwoods.com/monetize

Tom Woods

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

Sent: Saturday, February 29, 2020 12:59 PM

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Woods to guest: what the $#^&@ is wrong with you?

Tim, Tom, thanks for your kind words

Letter 2:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2020 12:44 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Carnies at the State Fair

Hi Walter,

I sent you the story about Patrick and I going to the Nebraska State Fair as 8th graders. We snuck into the fair and a barker lured my friend Patrick into his lair. It was a rigged game of dice and Patrick lost all his money.

What is the Libertarian theory on carnival barkers and carnies bilking kids or adults for that matter at the State Fair?

My guess is that your position will be, “It’s okay to for the carnies to bilk the adults because it is a voluntary transaction. But 8th graders shouldn’t be taken advantage of.”

And here we disagree.

I’d rather have some carny steal my money or my friend’s in 8th grade at a fairly modest cost; than learn it later in life when it could cost me a lot.

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

You are exactly correct. That is my precise position. I also think that people who count cards in poker in gambling casinos commit no crime, even though the casino owners might think they are “cheating.” But the former have a right to not allow entry to the latter.

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 3:

From: Tim McGraw [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2019 2:11 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Pacific Gas & Electric

Dear Walter,  Dec. 21, 2019

Geisha Williams was the CEO of PG & E who resigned in January, 2019 the day before PG & E declared bankruptcy (again) due to all the lawsuits from the wildfires. These four years of wildfires every fall, have killed dozens of people, destroyed over 10,000 structures, and made thousands homeless here in California. PG & E is the largest utility in the state and it is privately owned.

Geisha Williams received a $4.6 million retirement package and has disappeared from the scene here in California.

Now the state of California is fining PG & E for its negligence. The insurance companies get about $11 billion. Government entities get their billions. And the actual fire victims get, maybe, a few billion. But a state fund will be tapped also for these payments (taxpayer funds no doubt.)

So, of course everyone here in Commie California is calling for the government to take over the utility. I have not read a word about perhaps jailing Geisha Williams or at least fining her the $4.6 million she got when she resigned from PG & E as CEO.

But then, of course, she has immunity due to business law no doubt.

Sorry for the long introduction to my question.

Walter, how does one defend privatization vs. state ownership of utilities after the debacle that is, was, and probably always will be, Pacific Gas & Electric in California?

Oh, and don’t forget the San Bruno gas explosion caused by more faulty maintenance practices by PG & E. More death and destruction from greedy incompetence at the private utility.

I remember years ago I read someone who said, “Every generation you have to jail a few bankers to keep them honest.” How do you feel about that sentiment?

Cheers,

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:26 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Pacific Gas & Electric

Hi Walter,

Thanks for posting our exchange about PG & E. Of course I would not want innocent people jailed. Perhaps the bigger questions are:

How do you keep government out of private business?

How does a citizen get justice from a guilty corporation?

Or perhaps the root of the question;

Are corporations compatible with Libertarianism? The history of corporations might be an interesting topic for a Mises talk.

Thanks for your correspondence. I hope the flooding the Mississippi valley is not affecting you in New Orleans. My wife and I just flew home today from Kansas City. We were visiting my parents and helping them to pack up for their move into assisted living (they are 88). It was 19F with a wind chill of 6F when we left KC this morning. Brrr. I do not miss the Midwestern winters.

All the best,

Tim

—–Original Message—–

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sun, Feb 16, 2020 12:39 pm

Subject: RE: Pacific Gas & Electric

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/punish-the-innocent/

Walter E. Block, Ph.D.

tel: (504) 864-7934

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2019 1:06 PM

To: ‘Tim McGraw’ <[email protected]>

Subject: RE: Pacific Gas & Electric

Dear Tim:

I don’t see the problem with (pure) privatization. PG&E was always a highly regulated “private” company.

I think only guilty people should be jailed, not innocent people, in order to keep others honest.

Best regards,

Walter

Dear Tim:

I think corporations are compatible with libertairanism. Here are some readings for you:

Hessen, Robert. 1979. In Defense of the Corporation Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press,

Huebert, J. H. and Walter E. Block. 2008. “In Defense of Corporations, Tax Breaks, and Wal-Mart” November 24; http://www.jhhuebert.com/articles/corporations.html

Huebert, J. H. and Walter E. Block. 2008. “Response to Long on Corporations, Unions, and Wal-Mart.” December 12; http://jhhuebert.com/articles/response-to-long-on-corporations-unions-and-wal-mart/http://www.jhhuebert.com/articles/corporations2.htmlhttps://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/024387.html

Block, Walter E. and J.H. Huebert. 2008-2009. “Defending Corporations (reply to van Eeghen.)” Cumberland Law Review, Vol. 39(2), pp. 363-385; http://www.walterblock.com/wp-content/uploads/publications/block-huebert_defending-corporations-2009.pdf;

http://cumberland.samford.edu/lawreview/article/39/2

http://blog.mises.org/archives/010631.asp;

http://141.164.133.3/exchange/walterblock/Inbox/Re:%20reply%20to%20van%20Eeghen.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_2_block-huebert_defending-corporations-2009.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/block-huebert_defending-corporations-2009.pdf?attach=1

Klein, Peter G. 2008A.  “Long on the corporation.” November 10;

http://archive.mises.org/008924/

Klein, Peter G. 2008B. “More on the Corporation.”  November 8

https://mises.org/wire/more-corporation

Here are the links to Roderick’s pieces in the exchange: https://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/01/government-and-the-corporation/

Klein (2007A, 2007B, 2008A, 2008B)

Klein, Peter G. 2007A. “The Wikified Firm.” February 6;

https://web.archive.org/web/20080726193733/http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/02/06/the-wikified-firm/

Klein, Peter G. 2007B. “Vaguely Defined Property Rights.” April 4;

https://web.archive.org/web/20090203084358/http://organizationsandmarkets.com:80/2007/04/04/vaguely-defined-property-rights/

Klein, Peter G. 2008A. “Long on the Corporation.” November 10

https://web.archive.org/web/20081229015143/http://blog.mises.org:80/archives/008924.asp

http://archive.mises.org/008924/

Klein, Peter G. 2008B.  “More on the Corporation.” November 30

https://web.archive.org/web/20081204140416/http://blog.mises.org:80/archives/009033.asp

https://mises.org/wire/more-corporation

Long (2008A, 2008B)

Long, Roderick T. 2008A. “Corporations versus the Market; or, Whip Conflation Now.” November 10; http://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/11/10/roderick-long/corporations-versus-the-market-or-whip-conflation-now/

Long, Roderick T. 2008B. “Free Market Firms: Smaller, Flatter, and More Crowded.” November 25; https://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/11/25/roderick-t-long/free-market-firms-smaller-flatter-more-crowded

From P Klein

Policies promoting bigger firms

Fixed costs of interacting with the state  economies of scale and scope

Lobbying, communicating

Compliance

Intellectual property

Direct subsidies (Tesla, Goldman Sachs, defense contractors)

Indirect subsidies, e.g. transportation

Policies promoting smaller firms

Antitrust

Rent extraction (McChesney,

Money for Nothing, 1997)

Disclosure requirements

Direct subsidies (science parks, incubators, SBIR awards, etc.)

Indirect subsidies (energy and telecom)

Trade barriers, war, state control of education, etc.

Retard the international division of labor, reduce stocks of human capital, and lower the marginal product of labor

Thereby reduce the scale and scope economies that favor large-scale production.

Con:

P. French, P. 1975. “The Corporation as a Moral Person,” American Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 16, p. 207-215.

Long, Roderick T. 2008. “Corporations versus the Market; or, Whip Conflation Now.” November 10; http://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/11/10/roderick-long/corporations-versus-the-market-or-whip-conflation-now/

Long, Roderick T. 2008. Free Market Firms: Smaller, Flatter, and More Crowded, November 25; http://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/11/25/roderick-long/free-market-firms-smaller-flatter-and-more-crowded

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 4:

Dear Tim:

I favor (private) prisons. Their function would be to compel criminals to work at hard labor, so as to pay damages to their victims. Their purpose would not to “rehabilitate” criminals.

Best regards,

Walter

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:43 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Privatization is Resurrecting Feudalism: Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

Hi Walter,

Thanks for posting this conversation about prison labor. I’ve always had a problem with the idea of prisons. Prisons make it too easy for the state to control people. Prisons can be used, and often are, for political prisoners, and tax evaders, and those victimless crimes you mention.

But what to do with the violent humans?

Exile? Death? Or are prisons the only way?

Cheers,

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

—–Original Message—–

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Tue, Feb 18, 2020 7:08 am

Subject: RE: Privatization is Resurrecting Feudalism: Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/prisons-post-offices/

Walter E. Block, Ph.D.

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2019 2:22 PM

To: ‘Tim McGraw’ <[email protected]>

Subject: RE: Privatization is Resurrecting Feudalism: Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

Dear Tim:

I see nothing wrong with prison labor, nor with prisoners not keeping the benefits of their labor. (I’m talking real prisoners here, not those “guilty” of victimless crimes; the latter should all be pardoned, forthwith). The money the prisoners earn, over and above what is needed to feed, clothe and guard them, should go to their victims.

What we have now is not private prisons. What we now have is prisons that are contracted out by government. I think libertarians can favor the former, but not the latter.

Best regards,

Walter

From: Tim McGraw [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Friday, December 27, 2019 11:39 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Privatization is Resurrecting Feudalism: Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

Privatization is Resurrecting Feudalism: Dr. Paul Craig Roberts

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/12/27/privatization-is-resurrecting-feudalism/

Hi Walter,

I just read the most recent column by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (link above.) I’m interested in how you would debate or refute the points made by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. Also, I had no idea that Britain has privatized its postal service. I mail letters and packages to the UK fairly often and the service is very fast (less than a week sometimes). Whereas mail to Canada can take weeks to get there. Canadian customs and mail are awful.

Here in California due to the PG & E utility fiasco, almost everyone is calling for the state of California to take over the large utility.

All the best,

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Letter 5:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2020 3:16 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Time and how the state regulates it

Hi Walter,

I know I’ve been writing to you a lot lately. Please feel free to ignore it and throw it in the trash. Though the Spitsbergen/Svalbard videos are beautiful and interesting.

My Libertarian question to you tonight is:

Does the state have the right to regulate how we measure time?

Of course the state regulates measurements and time is just another thing to measure, or is it?

Measurements of matter are in our 3D world. Time is of the 4th dimension. We can change matter in our 3D world. We cannot change time.

So why does the government get to supposedly regulate time?

What is the Libertarian position on time?

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

the state has no right to regulate how we measure time. Even under limited govt libertarianism

Walter E. Block, Ph.D.

Letter 6:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 5:06 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Grand Coulee Dam

Hi Walter,

I just watched the following documentary:

Grand Coulee Dam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU4qw9zYX9Y

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt_Lake

What is the Libertarian position on huge public works projects like Grand Coulee Dam? If you go to almost the end of the video, the BLM folks finally talk about the destroyed salmon fish runs and the eminent domain used to remove both Indians and Americans from their bottom land to make way for the dam and reservoir. The BLM does give the one Indian tribe some of the money from the sale of electricity at the dam, but no specifics. Well, it is a documentary made by the BLM. The Spokane Indian Tribe has always had a tough time of it. Sherman Alexie is a Spokane Indian writer. I’ve read many of his books. He’s very good.

I’ve never been to Grand Coulee Dam. I did visit friends who lived in Kettle Falls, WA. It is maybe 65 miles uplake from Grand Coulee Dam. People like to fish on the long (150 miles) Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. In the summer a two story houseboat would ply the waters of the lake looking for fishermen. The houseboat was a floating whorehouse and it did very good business.

Hope you are having a great St. Patrick’s Day!

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

I wrote about that here:

Block, Walter E. and Peter Lothian Nelson. 2015. Water Capitalism: The Case for Privatizing Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Aquifers. New York City, N.Y.: Lexington Books, Rowman and Littlefield; https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498518802/Water-Capitalism-The-Case-for-Privatizing-Oceans-Rivers-Lakes-and-Aquifershttps://mises.org/library/case-privatizing-oceans-and-rivers

scathing review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1SMO4B0T1AWM5/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1498518826https://store.mises.org/-P11051.aspx

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 7:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 3:25 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Assassinations

Hi Walter,

Our enemies believe in killing humans for their own gain. We Libertarians only believe that violence can be used in self defense.

How, if possible, does a Libertarian overcome this disadvantage?

This isn’t a James Bond movie where he always escapes the assassin’s bullet, spider, shark, etc..

We die.

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

Not only self defense. Other defense too. If someone is attacking a member of your family, or even a complete stranger, you are justified in using violence, if necesseary, to stop it.

How do we win? How do we overcome? There are only two means: violence, and non-violence (books, lectures, etc.) Virtually all libertarians specialize in the latter.

Do we win? Probably not.

Levendis, John, Walter E. Block and Robert B. Eckhardt.  2019. “Evolutionary psychology, economic freedom, trade and benevolence.” Review of Economic Perspectives – Národohospodářský obzor; Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 73-92; https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/revecp/19/2/article-p73.xml; 10.2478/revecp-2019-0005; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2019-0005https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/here-is-one-of-my-best-scholarly-papers-ever/https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/evolutionary-psychology-economic-freedom-trade-and-benevolence

But, we keep on trying. Why? Because it is fun, gives meaning to our lives, is just.

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 8:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2020 2:14 AM

To: [email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected]

Subject: President Richard Nixon Visit Honored Cornhuskers

President Richard Nixon Visit Honored Cornhuskers

I remember this visit of President Nixon to the University of Nebraska in January of 1971. Oh, it was a cold day. I was a freshman at the U of N that year.

If you read the article it says that one student threw a snowball at Nixon and he playfully threw one back. If I remember right it was too cold to make snowballs that day. I avoided the whole thing. But some people say that more than one snowball was headed towards Nixon’s bare head on that frigid January day. And some of them landed.

Imagine what would happen to those snow ball throwers today.

Well, back then the draft lottery for the Vietnam War was ready to give me my lucky number the following August. I truly hated the government. Nixon was a dirty word. The government has been really crummy from time to time since, but this coronavirus panic is the worst I’ve seen those bastards act since LBJ and Nixon.

It’s odd to have this same strong visceral reaction against government 50 years later.

What was the point of it all?

TJM

Dear Tim:

The way I see matters is that the “point” of this is

1.to have fun. We’ve had fun lo these many years promoting liberty

2.to bring about liberty. I am convinced that due to our efforts for these 5 decades the world now has .0000001 more liberty than it would have otherwise had but for our efforts.

3.and with this marginal increase in liberty, we’ve probably save tens of thousands of lives, if not more

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 9:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2020 9:44 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Defending the Undefendible: The Miser

“This witty and wonderful book is a veritable manual of the ‘joy of freedom.’ If we were only half as interested in liberty as in lust, we would not have half the problems we have.” —Dr. Thomas S. Szasz

Hi Walter,

I love the above quote about your book by Szasz. And the “Szasz” is like a name from a Marvel comic book. Of course, lust has its problems.

When I was a kid I loved cartoons and comic books. One of my favorite cartoons was about a miser. (I’ve looked everywhere for this video cartoon and can’t find it). The Miser lives in a decrepit house and wears old clothes, uses a cane, and wears dark glasses as well when he leaves his “shack”.  The inside of his house is just as badly off with torn curtains, worn furniture, and an old pot bellied stove with a crooked exhaust pipe for heat and cooking.

This is the house presented to the county tax auditor who comes by the Miser’s house for his tax assessment.

But as soon as the tax assessor leaves… the Miser flips some switches on the walls and the walls and floors and ceilings flip over to an opulent interior of fine curtains, furniture, a wood hearth, and the Miser is wearing a smoking jacket while smoking a fine cigar with caviar and champagne by his side.

Then the tax assessor comes back!

Oh, the Miser scrambles to put back on his rags and flip the switches so his house looks poor again. (I’m laughing hysterically at this point as an 8 year old.)  But the house goes out of control and some walls are poor and some are rich. The tax assessor is frightened and then gladdened for he’s caught a tax evader. And the Miser goes to jail (I think. I can’t remember the ending for sure.) I know the Miser would have to pay all kinds of fees and penalties for back taxes and perhaps tax fraud, today.

But as a Libertarian, I personally have no problem with the Miser.

Does Libertarian philosophy?

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

Thanks for your kind words.

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 10:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2020 3:45 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Children

Hi Walter,

You never answered my question if it is Libertarian to have children. Is it okay to bring a human into the world without their voluntary consent?

Of course it isn’t. We are all just “lucky to be here.” As my Dad told me many times, “Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.”

And as Woody Allen famously said, “Life is terrible and then it ends all too soon.”

Libertarianism deals with life here on planet Earth. But Libertarianism can’t answer the bigger questions of why we are here or where we are going.

I’ve enjoyed our friendship and correspondence very much. Am looking forward to reading your book “Water Capitalism” which is here in my den.

Stay out of trouble Walter, which I think is going to be harder and harder for folks like us to do.

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

Dear Tim:

Libertarianism only forbids the initiation of violence, or the threat thereof, against innocent people or their property. I don’t see how (voluntary) sexual intercourse which leads to the birth of a baby, fits that bill. So, no, while it may not be “libertarian” to have children, it is certainly not incompatibe with our philosophy to give birth to the next generation.

But, thanks for an intruiguing question. I’ve been asked many questions about libertarianism, but never that one.

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 11:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2020 2:26 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Fwd: Pontius Pilate (Governor Newsom)

Hi Walter,

Do you think me writing to my city council members is worthwhile? or is it a dangerous waste of my time in a small town in liberal California?

Do Libertarians have an obligation to speak up for liberty? Or is it okay to hide and wait for the Messiah? (well, I’m kidding there.)

I suppose the Mormons up Fitch Street with their big tabernacle and their young boys in suits coming by the house once or twice a year on missionary work is one way to go.

To me, the world is as mad as can be.

Take care, Walter,

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, CA

—–Original Message—–

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>

Sent: Tue, May 5, 2020 12:20 am

Subject: Pontius Pilate (Governor Newsom)

Hi Dave and Joe,

I know you guys aren’t politicians, but Governor Newsom just left you guys out to hang and dry over this Covid-19 panic. Newsom said, “I’ll defer to the counties and cities how they proceed with this crisis.”

Newsom just did a Pontius Pilate washing of the hands of responsibility.

Governor Newsom can now say, “At day 50 of the crisis, I turned over control of reopening our great state’s economy to local jurisdictions.”

And voila! Newsom is no longer the evil fuhrer who ruined our lives. Now it’s on you. Newsom can still run for president in four years.

But back here in Healdsburg, you and the other three on the city council and the city manager, are responsible for the 12,000 of us in Healdsburg. We don’t care about Santa Rosa, or Sacramento, or especially DC or NYC.

We care about Healdsburg.

Tim McGraw

Fitch Street

Dear Dave, Healdsburg City Councilman, May 4th, 2020

The governor said that he would defer to counties and cities about their opening up of businesses and life as it used to be.

The City Council had a meeting tonight. What did you decide?

I hope, oh, such a weak emotion, that the five of you on the city council had the guts to open Hburg immediately, but I doubt it.

Healdsburg has no NO Covid-19 patients at Healdsburg Hospital. Hell, the place is empty. Our neighbor went up there with a strained shoulder and he got examined, an X-ray, and a cortisone shot all in 45 minutes!

Dave, my wife and I hate this life of Covid confinement. This mask bullshit (they don’t work). This social distancing, again, no scientific data to back that up.

Dave, please open up our city to business. You and Joe are the only people on the city council with any knowledge of the real business world. You know how it all works. Wealth doesn’t come out of thin air.

Wishing you and your family all the best,

Tim McGraw

Fitch Street

Dear Tim:

Our only obligation, as libertarians, is to obey the NAP.

Waste of time? Probably. But, virtually all present libertarians didn’t start out that way. Someone convinced them of the righteousness of our philosophy. Present city council members, too, can change their minds and embrace the one true political philosophy.

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 12:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 3:29 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Dear Walter

Dear Walter,

Are you doing okay? I just saw your list of kind letters from friends on the Lew Rockwell site. I like to think I’ve sent you kind letters, but this is about you.

Don’t let Mike Rozeff get under your skin. I’ve had communications with Mike and he’s a nice guy, but he’s not willing to go all the way. (Why do I feel like I’m suddenly talking about Catholic girls in junior high?)

Walter, you are a brilliant writer, orator, and teacher. And an athlete to boot who has avoided most of the vices in life.

You should be proud of your successful life.

Keep your sense of humor. It is your best trait and the one we rely on the most to carry us all through to the end.

Your friend,

Tim McGraw

Healdsburg, Ca

PS: Sleep is difficult for us in these horrible times. But sleep we must. Good night.

TJM

Dear Tim:

Thanks. This will be on my next list of nice letters

Best regards,

Walter

Letter 13:

A:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2020 8:23 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

That was a pretty good video. But is anyone listening to the resistance sarcasm anymore?

Today Debra and I went to Big John’s Grocery. We go every two weeks to stock up. They asked me “Where is your mask?” It was a masked teenaged Mexican girl at the front door. I threw my scarf over my face in disgust.

But that wasn’t good enough. The little Mexican snitch followed me into the store and saw that I didn’t have my scarf tightly around my mouth and nose so she complained to her boss who motioned to me to cover up my nose. So I did, for a second or two.

We are so fed up with this Nazi bullshit, and I did call the teenage girl a Nazi as I left the store.

Two weeks ago the store was more laid back. Folks were wearing homemade bandanas and scarves. Now everyone was wearing a mask. It was scary. It was the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Everyone has been turned into Pod People.

Masks damage human health. Rebreathing the same air and germs is very bad for the human body. People are STUPID! They are LEMMINGS!

It was a very frightening experience for us.

The people here in Healdsburg are sheep.

TJM

—–Original Message—–

From: Craig Nehring <[email protected]>

Sent: Thu, May 14, 2020 2:37 pm

Subject: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Hey dig this, a nice silly retort to the pandemic

https://youtu.be/2DDXG-dHugc

—–Original Message—–

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>; [email protected]

Sent: Thu, May 14, 2020 6:42 pm

Subject: RE: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Dear Tim:

But, it was THEIR store. If they would have asked you to get down on all fours and push a peanut down the aisle with your nose while you shopped there, they would have been within their rights (you might have shoped elsewhere if they did that, but that’s another story). It was you, I’m afraid, in this case, who was in the wrong, not them.

Best regards,

Walter

C:

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2020 11:45 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Dear Walter,

If the sign out front had said it was “Store Policy is that everyone must wear a mask”. I would agree with you, but they just had the sign out front saying, “The Sonoma County Health Officer Requires Everyone Entering the Store to Wear a Mask.”

Perhaps I am splitting hairs here, but it matters to me who’s orders I’m supposedly obeying.

And I am not in the habit of following orders from teen-age girls.

Perhaps it is my pride, but there it is.

All the best,

Tim

D

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Fri, May 15, 2020 7:35 am

Subject: RE: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Dear Tim:

But the store owner decided to follow govt policy.

Best regards,

Walter

E

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 11:48 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Dear Walter,

These County Health Officer Demands for Masks signs are in front of every business. Some owners enforce it, some don’t. If I see a hand written sign (usually on a chalk board) from the owner saying masks are required, I wear a mask.

These store owners who hide behind the skirts of Dr. Mase and her Unconstitutional edicts piss me off. I consider them cowardly Quislings. They remind me of the “Good Germans” in Nazi Germany.

If the store owners want to follow government policy (which as Judge Napolitano has pointed out is Unconstitutional), then let the store owners put their name out there.

All the best,

Tim

F

From: Walter Block <[email protected]>

To: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Fri, May 15, 2020 9:55 am

Subject: RE: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night

Dear Tim:

But the store you mentioned was clearly enforcing this rule.

Best regards,

Walter

G

From: Tim McGraw <[email protected]>

Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 12:20 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: I wear My Face Mask in My Car (Sun Glasses at Night)

Dear Walter

The store is now enforcing the rule. Two weeks ago I didn’t wear a mask in the store and nothing happened. I will of course wear a mask from now on while patronizing this store.

All the best,

Tim

H

Dear Tim:

The store enforced that mask rule via that teen aged girl while you were there. You called her a Nazi.

Best regards,

Walter

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2:48 am on May 24, 2020