  Counterresponse 2. The constraints imposed by the existence of closed time-like lines are of quite a different character from the constraint imposed by ρ = div(E). The constraints imposed by ρ = div(E) on the state on a space-like hypersurface are: (i) local constraints (i.e., to check whether the constraint holds in a region you just need to see whether it holds at each point in the region), (ii) quite independent of the global space-time structure, (iii) quite independent of how the space-like surface in question is embedded in a given space-time, and (iv) very simply and generally stateable. On the other hand, the consistency constraints imposed by the existence of closed time-like curves (i) are not local, (ii) are dependent on the global structure of space-time, (iii) depend on the location of the space-like surface in question in a given space-time, and (iv) appear not to be simply stateable other than as the demand that the state on that space-like surface embedded in such and such a way in a given space-time, do not lead to inconsistency. On some views of laws (e.g., David Lewis' view) this plausibly implies that such constraints, even if they hold, could not possibly be laws. But even if one does not accept such a view of laws, one could claim that the bizarre features of such constraints imply that it is implausible that such constraints hold in our world or in any world remotely like ours.