BINGHAMTON REVIEW Editor-in-Chief Contents
P.O. BOX 6000 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902-6000 EDITOR@BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Founded 1987 • Volume XXXII, Issue XI Tommy Gagliano
Managing Editor Brian Murray Copy Desk Chief Matt Gagliano
Business Manager Joe Badalamenti
Social Media Shitposters Lacey Kestecher, Sebastian Roman
Editor Emeritus
Patrick McAuliffe Jr.
Staff Writers
Bryn Lauer, Harold Rook, Joe Dorn, Kevin Vorrath, Madeline Perez, Jon Lizak, Dillon O’Toole
Contributors Harley Stinger
NEXT YEAR’S E-BOARD
PAGE 8 3 4 6 10 12 13 14 15
Editorial by Tommy Gagliano Press Watch by Our Staff Kim Jong-un or Kim Jong-ill? by Harold Rook Social Distancing and the NAP by Patrick McAuliffe NASCAR is Back: You Should Watch by Dillon O’Toole Technology and Coronavirus by Harley Stinger The Case Against Government Overreach by Joe Badalamenti The Games of 2010 by Dillon O’Toole
Special Thanks To:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute Collegiate Network Binghamton Review was printed by Gary Marsden We Provide the Truth. He Provides the Staples
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Direct feedback to editor@binghamtonreview.com 2
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
EDITORIAL Dear Readers,
From the Editor
W
ell, we made it. This hellish Spring 2020 semester has just about reached its conclusion. This certainly isn’t the way we wanted it to end, especially for all of the graduating seniors out there, but we made it nonetheless. I’d like to take a moment to reflect on my first year as Editor-in-Chief. By some metrics, you could call it a disaster. We started off the year with exactly three members, as the majority of our staff from 2018-2019—including every E-Board member other than myself—had either graduated or transferred. On top of that, we were forced to move to a new home. Due to a combination of political biases and new SA members not understanding the history of clubs, our first ever space violation (a person above the age of 21 accidentally forgetting and leaving a bottle of whiskey in the office) was used as an excuse to move us from the UUW B05 office we had inhabited for over fifteen years to a tiny room in an irrelevant building on the far side of campus. We were told that clubs without violations get priority, but that excuse falls flat when no other club was put in UUW B05 to replace us. Instead, Free Press and Ellipsis—two clubs that we previously shared the space with, and had moved into that office well after us—were given the office to themselves. Our first month of the school year was spent frantically trying to move all of our stuff from our old office to the new one. To say it was a shit show would be an understatement. No one responded to my emails. The SA basically told me to go fuck myself. It wasn’t until the Spring semester that we were finally able to completely finish our move. And finally, the latest bump in the road—coronavirus. We were given less than 24 hours notice that we needed to remove everything from our office because the building it was in— the irrelevant one on the far side of campus that we were unfairly moved to—was going to be used as quarantine housing. We finally moved everything in, just to have to move it all back out again, then in again next Fall. Can’t wait for that. Yet, by other metrics, this year was a massive success. Despite all of these obstacles, we have achieved higher readership this year than any other time in recent memory. We had a huge influx of new contributors, and our staff size is now much healthier than the three we began the year with. Our footage of the Art Laffer protests were shown on multiple local news networks, and we were acknowledged by national media outlets for breaking previously-unknown information regarding both the Art Laffer protest and the College Republicans / TPUSA tabling protest. Despite losing our office so that Free Press and Ellipsis could enjoy some extra space, we still put out 11 issues this year from our converted dorm room, while Free Press and Ellipsis only put out 2—COMBINED. And although we’ve been unable to meet in person or print anything due to the current pandemic, we were still able to work together and create three great issues from home, and complete our goal of 11 on the year. I’m so incredibly proud of our team and the things they’ve accomplished this year. It’s impossible to overstate how much I appreciate their dedication to making Binghamton Review as great as it is. Thank you to them, and to everyone that has read and supported us this year. Sincerely,
Tommy Gagliano
Binghamton Review is a non-partisan, student-run news magazine of conservative thought founded in 1987 at Binghamton University. A true liberal arts education expands a student’s horizons and opens one’s mind to a vast array of divergent perspectives. The mark of true maturity is being able to engage with these perspectives rationally while maintaining one’s own convictions. In that spirit, we seek to promote the free and open exchange of ideas and offer alternative viewpoints not normally found or accepted on our predominately liberal campus. We stand against tyranny in all of its forms, both on campus and beyond. We believe in the principles set forth in this country’s Declaration of Independence and seek to preserve the fundamental tenets of Western civilization. It is our duty to expose the warped ideology of political correctness and cultural authoritarianism that dominates this university. Finally, we understand that a moral order is a necessary component of any civilized society. We strive to inform, engage with, and perhaps even amuse our readers in carrying out this mission.
Views expressed by writers do not necessarily represent the views of the publication as a whole. editor@binghamtonreview.com
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
3
CPampus resswatch Typically, we here at Binghamton Review have had a friendly relationship with Pipe Dream. Sure, we may take a gander at some of their opinion articles and have a good chuckle or two, laughing at what we find to be logically ridiculous or baseless claims. However, at the end of the day, we usually believe that these claims are solely limited to Pipe Dream’s opinion column, and that the staff that work on their paper try their best to write truthful (if not a little bland) objective news stories. And while this has been correct throughout the previous school years, we can not say the same for the Pipe Dream issues that have been circulating this year; it seems that in what should be “objective” news is chock-full of blatantly opinionated articles with misinformation galore. So, for our final issue of the year, we are going to be highlighting some of the factually incorrect claims that Pipe Dream has put into its issues. We are doing this from a place of good faith; you should be better than this Pipe Dream, and we want to get the truth out there for the campus to see. So, without further ado, Binghamton Review Presents: Pipe Dream Lies in Review (2019-2020)! “Student activists protest tabling event promoting gun rights, criticize UPD for response” Gillian Mathews and Nicole Kaufman, 11/14/19 “Approximately 200 students congregated on the Spine on Thursday afternoon to protest after Binghamton University College Republicans and Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization that is not chartered by the SA, tabled in support of gun rights.” Strike one of the false pro-gun narrative! Throughout much of the coverage of the initial protests for the TPUSA and College Republican tabling, Pipe Dream has repeatedly stated that the purpose of the tabling was to promote gun-rights. They even mention an unrelated school shooting that occurred on the same day as the tabling, possibly implying that
4
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Written by our Staff
We know you don’t read the other campus publications, so we did it for you. Original pieces are in quotes, our responses are in bold.
the tablers knew about the shooting beforehand and were being intentionally provocative or insensitive. In reality, the club that had the signs and stickers, TPUSA, was promoting their entire political platform, with gun rights only being a portion of their views. College Republicans were simply handing out hot chocolate to promote their upcoming Art Laffer event. This suggests that Pipe Dream is deliberately emphasizing the gun rights items to build a certain viewpoint about BOTH clubs. We’re sure they won’t repeat this false narrative later on... “Trump criticizes Binghamton University protesters during address at Turning Point USA conference” Sasha Hupka, 12/23/19 “During his speech, Trump mocked protesters and suggested that the protesters used clubs and bats while demonstrating, stating, they ‘swing clubs, they swing bats, they swing everything.’ Campus demonstrators did not use weapons during any of the protests.” Trump wasn’t referring to the Binghamton protesters, he was referring to far-left protesters in general. If you look on sites such as YouTube it’s pretty easy to find footage of far left groups such as Antifa using clubs in their protests. It isn’t that far of a stretch that Trump would associate the campus demonstrators, who can be seen wearing black surgical masks and red armbands, with other groups that use these same tactics along with violent action. “Student protests began in November at BU following a pro-gun tabling event held by BU’s chapters of TPUSA and College Republicans on the Spine.” Strike two of the false pro gun narrative! While TPUSA did have a pro gun poster, in addition to numerous other posters, the purpose of tabling on the Spine for both groups was certainly not to be a “pro-gun tabling event.” For the College Republicans,
the purpose was to promote the upcoming speech by Art Laffer. For Turning Point USA, the purpose was to promote their new Binghamton University chapter. Although part of TPUSA’s political stances is certainly pro-gun rights, to state that the purpose of the tabling for both groups was for gun rights would be incredibly misleading, almost as if *gasp* Pipe Dream has a partisan agenda! “Hours before the protest, a shooter opened fire at a high school in Santa Clarita, California.” This statement is intentionally misleading to make it seem College Republicans and TPUSA’s decision to table was in response to the shooting. That is not the case. The shooting in Santa Clarita was actually a half-hour before the tabling began, not “hours,” and the tabling was planned days in advance. “Congressman Tom Reed and BU President Harvey Stenger discuss free speech on campus” Osama Teepu, 1/27/20 “Student protests began in November at BU following a pro-gun tabling event held by BU’s chapters of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative group known for its attention-grabbing tactics at colleges and universities across the nation, and College Republicans on the Spine. Hours before the protest, a shooter opened fire at a high school in Santa Clarita, California.” Strike three of the false pro gun narrative! If it isn’t clear enough already, Pipe Dream is doing this to further a narrative; not only are they repeating the debunked claim that this was a “pro-gun tabling event,” they also bring up an unrelated school shooting and lie about the time frame, in an attempt to imply that both groups (which Pipe Dream seemingly cannot distinguish between) were doing this to be provocative. “Trump also falsely suggested that protesters used clubs and bats while
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM demonstrating.” Again, Trump was speaking about far-left groups such as Antifa in general, not at this specific incident. “‘Scorched earth! Kill them! Get them!’: TPUSA, College Republicans members reportedly makes [sic] threatening remarks during meeting” Jacob T. Kerr, 2/6/20 We’ve already released a full-length response to this absurd article, which can be found in our February 12th, 2020 issue, but if we’re highlighting Pipe Dream’s most ridiculous lies of the academic year, we have no choice but to discuss it again. “In the recording, which was reportedly taken on Nov. 21, 2019, members of TPUSA, College Republicans and the Binghamton Review discussed ideas for future events which included purposefully provoking responses from other students, according to the Frances Beal Society, a grassroots organization composed of students and community members dedicated to fighting oppression and liberating marginalized groups.” Firsly, there is no “the” in our name. Nearly every Pipe Dream article about us, dating back years, has made this mistake. I was going to say I don’t know how you can continue to make the same mistake over and over again, but, as we’ve just seen with the “pro-gun” narrative, learning from mistakes seems like a struggle for Pipe Dream writers. Secondly, Binghamton Review is non-partisan. We do not work with or support political clubs or organizations. We have never had a joint meeting with College Republicans or Turning Point USA, and we never will. Furthermore, for the same reason, we would have no reason to discuss “ideas for future events” with those groups. There is some membership crossover between Binghamton Review and political clubs such as College Republicans and TPUSA. Our writers and staff are free to attend any other clubs that they want, and are free to do whatever they please in their free time. Binghamton Review is not responsible for their actions as members of those clubs, or as individuals. To characterize the set-
editor@binghamtonreview.com
ting of the audio recordings as a metting containing members of Bingamton Review when the vast majority of Binghamton Review’s staff, including club President and Editor-in-Chief Tommy Gagliano, were not present, is incredibly dishonest. “TPUSA members also reportedly threatened to sue Binghamton University’s Student Association (SA) to secure funding for their organization in leaked text messages.” As revealed in the VERY NEXT LINE OF THE ARTICLE, the “leaked text message” to “secure funding” for TPUSA reads as follows: “We have a plan — go to the SA, try and get chartered, get denied and then open up a lawsuit against [BU] for freedom of speech.” We know that Pipe Dream has some difficulties with basic concepts, but freedom of speech is not the same thing as funding. This isn’t about money, it’s about a contingency plan for a club that repeatedly had its freedom of speech violated by both the University and leftist protesters. “The leak of the recording comes after two protests erupted on campus last semester. The first demonstration occurred after BU’s TPUSA and College Republicans displayed pro-gun signage during an unofficial tabling event.” Obviously false narrative is just as obviously false the fourth time. “Days later, when the same two groups hosted economist Arthur Laffer for a speaking event, another protest formed, resulting in Laffer being escorted out of the Lecture Hall by police.” TPUSA was not involved in organizing the Art Laffer event. “Pipe Dream cannot independently confirm the claims made by Frances Beal Society regarding who is speaking in the recording.” “We have no idea if anything we’re saying is actually true, but it makes conservatives look bad so we’re running with it.” “One voice is heard yelling, ‘Scorched earth! Kill them! Get them!’ The other students then join in by repeating, ‘Scorched earth.’”
It is amazing how hard they try to remove a quote from the given context. The way this is written sounds like some kind of sadist cult, when even the recording shows the context is far from hostile. In the recording, “scorched earth” is first preceded by “scandal free year” (even though Frances Beal Society put “scan over here” in the recording subtitles)) implying that this is a hyperbolic comparison meant to sarcastically compare a scandal free year to “scorched earth.” But hey, what would make a better front page article: sarcastic banter meant to reflect the preceding days’ chaotic political protests, or evil-TPUSA-cult-members-literallycalling-for-the-deaths-of-students? “While discussing how to provoke other students, the voice said to be Kestecher is heard saying, ‘Honestly, if they jump me, big money,’ after proposing the idea of wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat around campus. ‘Big money,’ according to Frances Beal Society, is referring to TPUSA receiving donations after gaining public attention.” “Big money” isn’t some conspiracy that both Pipe Dream and Frances Beal Society believe is TPUSA’s main goal of provocation; it’s a sarcastic observation that, if the person said to be Kestecher were to express their political views, they could be violently attacked on campus, leading to a lawsuit. To believe otherwise is a serious stretch of conspiratorial theory that would make Alex Jones blush.
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
5
KIM JONG-UN OR KIM JONG-ILL?
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Kim Jong-un or Kim Jong-ill? By Harold Rook
P
icture global politics as a macroscale version of high school: the world stage is the classroom, wars are fought at 4:30pm under the flagpole after class, and countries are students, with global institutions such as the United Nations being dubiously-helpful teachers and janitors. Each country is voiced by its government, in much the ways you may predict; Britain is a former jock that recently broke up with his girlfriend, the EU, Russia is the bully that constantly steals Ukraine’s lunch money, and Japan is...well, lets call him the “niche” guy. But amongst all of them is the United States: a complete Chad (besides Chad) in every sense of the word, the strongest, richest, smartest kid that has had his fair share of achievements and mistakes. Of course, not everyone likes him. Especially that one kid. You know, THAT kid; the bald guy dressed in all black that is listening to Pumped Up Kicks while playing with a tiny switchblade in the back of the classroom. His twin is best friends with the United States, but he hates him with a passion. Yep, there’s no doubt about it, it’s North Korea. However, due to class getting cancelled because China didn’t tell anyone he was really sick, it’s been quiet. Too quiet. Surely, North Korea would have badmouthed the US by now. He hasn’t even sent an edgy Facebook post. What’s he doing? North Korea has been having some health issues, specifically with its leader; Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of the Hermit Kingdom, is speculated to be seriously ill according to US officials. This comes after
6
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
April 15th, during the Day of the Sun, a North Korean holiday celebrating the country’s founding by Kim Il Sung complete with military parades, where Kim Jong-un was absent. Now, I know what we are all thinking: what genius would have a military parade during the coronavirus? However, this reported absence is not due to the coronavirus because 1) if I have to write about the coronavirus three times in a row I may jump out a window, 2) it is highly unusual for the Supreme Leader to be missing during such a national holiday, and 3) Kim was scheduled to have cardiovascular surgery three days prior. Speculation has been compounded by the poor health exhibited by Kim, who ballooned in weight by 66 pounds by 2015, and is known to be a heavy smoker as well as suffering from diabetes. Combine this with the Kim Dynasty having a history of health issues and media speculation has gone wild, ranging from Kim being “gravely ill” according to CNN to him being in a “vegetative state,” according to Japanese News Source Shukan Gendai, collapsing and needing CPR. It should go without saying that information is scarce due North Korea’s seclusion from the outside world, and these claims are contested by South Korea, China, and even President Trump. Nevertheless, a team of Chinese medical experts has been sent to the Hermit Kingdom to monitor Kim’s health. With Kim Fatty the Third in such a health predicament, the possibility of a death within the Kim Dynasty has many speculating what will happen
to leadership of the country. The first and most obvious choice of succession would be Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the Supreme Leader. Think of her as North Korea’s Iron Lady; as the director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, Yo-jong has served the Supreme Leader as a member of the politburo, the Supreme People’s Assembly, and is responsible for the continuous indoctrination of North Koreans into believing that her brother is better than God. She’s shrewd, cunning, and likely a hardliner for her brother’s policies. Another possibility would be a more moderate force not directly related to the Kim family, such as senior party officials, filling the void. Of course, there’s always old-fashion (and unlikely) anarchy and government collapse that can result from the political vacuum. In any case, the consequences could be immense, the most concerning being diplomatic talks by the United States regarding North Korea’s nuclear program. Considering the historical diplomatic progress between the two countries, a dead Kim Jongun could forcibly reset nuclear disarmament talks, especially if a hardliner gets into power. This says nothing if the state itself collapses entirely, likely creating an even greater humanitarian crisis then what already exists in the country.
“Anything, ranging from a nuclear launch in North Korea to Kim Jong-un croaking from his obesity, can catalyse a series of events between the major world players that could potentially change the world stage entirely.”
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
All of this talk of succession to the dictatorial throne, however, ended within a matter of days, thanks to a series of revelations from both the media discoveries and satellite imaging. First, the possibility that the “Dear Leader” was in fact still alive first appeared with his own private train was spotted in Wonsan, a coastal city that hosts Kim Jong-un’s compound. Speculation as to the purpose of this visit sent mixed messages to the media: was Kim Jong-un being hospitalized within the compound? Was he riding out his cardiovascular surgery recovery here? Or was his choice of going to Wonsan because of the coronavirus? Actually, it couldn’t have been because of the coronavirus! After all, the completely trustworthy North Korean media has told us that they, being the superior Korea, have had ZERO cases of coronavirus, a 100% reliable answer to what may be happening. The next potential hint that everyone’s favorite obese rocket ethusiast was in somewhat decent condition came from a somewhat unlikely source: President Trump. In a press conference, when asked if he knew anything regarding Kim Jong-un’s condition, he confirmed that he was aware, but stated that everyone would find out in the coming days. This isn’t completely surprising, given the relationship between President Trump and Kim Jong-un; diplomat channels between the United States and North Korea may in fact be present, giving Trump a bit more in-
editor@binghamtonreview.com
KIM JONG-UN OR KIM JONG-ILL? sider information as to Kim Jong-un’s condition. However, absolute confirmation of Kim Fatty the Third still being alive came in an unusual form: on May 1st, 2020, Kim Jong-un came out of hiding for the first time, celebrating the opening of...a fertilizer factory. If you’ve been waiting for some epic revelation of Kim’s demise, I guess you can say that this is BULLSHIT...get it? Corny jokes aside, the reasoning for this disappearance may have slightly more to do with coronavirus, supposedly with two of his subordinates contracting a fever. Granted, this news comes from North Korean sources, so it’s best to approach this with a healthy dose of skepticism. Nonetheless, it appears that, for all intensive purposes, Kim Jong-un is alive and well.
“North Korea may be the most likely kid to be a school shooter, but he’s also the student that everyone is watching very carefully.” So what can we learn here? That North Korea’s lack of transparency is a hindrance to finding out what is actually going on in the Hermit Kingdom? That the spread of misinformation is rampant within news institutions, utilizing unverified sources to get a sensationalized story? That determining the truth of a story requires more time and research, and should not be rushed for the sake of headlines? That Kim Yojong is a splitting and memeable image of Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender? All of these things are valid lessons that can be taken from these series of events. However, I would actually point to a greater lesson to be learned here: the role that North Korea
places on the world stage. When considering the analogy in the beginning that North Korea is the troubled kid in the classroom most likely to be on the FBI’s watch list, it is easy to dismiss the state as being a backwards, awful mess that murders its own people on a daily basis. And while all of that is 100% true, what should be noted is the position that North Korea serves in global politics; China and Russia actively supports the oppressive regime, in part to maintain influence in the region; the United States and western allies support South Korea and Japan, ensuring that democracy in the Far East can flourish. Anything, ranging from a nuclear launch in North Korea to Kim Jong-un croaking from his obesity, can catalyse a series of events between the major world players that could potentially change the world stage entirely. North Korea may be the most likely kid to be a school shooter, but he’s also the student that everyone is watching very carefully. Ignoring these metaphors, the situation in North Korea is genuinely nothing to laugh about; even before the current pandemic, citizens from the Hermit Kingdom have been suffering from starvation, oppression, and literal concentration camps that we in the United States are barely able to comprehend. Advocacy highlighting the dire situation in the totalitarian state, such as by Binghamton’s own Liberty in North Korea (my own politics aside, go check them out, they’re working for a good cause), only reveals a population that is practically enslaved. Class may be out for now, but whatever the case is, we must hope that North Korea is just going through a phase, and that he’ll eventually grow out of his trench-coat, knife wielding ways for the betterment of his people. The situation, however, is bleak, and we can only watch from a distance as North Korea operates in its oppressive state.
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
7
Next Year’s E-Board
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Editor-in-Chief: Tommy Gagliano
Surprise! I’m not graduating! I added a last-minute English major, which interferred a bit with my plan to graduate early. Instead of finishing in 3 years, I’ll be done in 3.5—which means I’ll be around for another semester. If you don’t already know who I am, hello. My name is Tommy Gagliano. I’m a Political Science and English major from Manorville, New York. (Yes, that is on Long Island. No, it is not near that town in Nassau County that your friend is from.) After serving as Binghamton Review’s Editor-in-Chief this year, I’m excited to continue in that role for one last semester. Managing Editor: Matt Gagliano What’s up gamers! My name is Matt Gagliano, and I’m Binghamton Review’s new Managing Editor. That’s right, Brian is dead. And before you ask, no, I had absolutely NOTHING to do with it, I swear. Anyway, I was ordered to write about myself so that you know a little bit about the epic Chads that make up the Binghamton Review E-Board. So, uh, let’s start with the boring stuff. I’m a sophomore, I’m majoring in Physics (super cool, I know), I’m from Long Island (just like everyone else at Binghamton), and some other crap that you probably don’t care about. Now that I made you read all my lame, generic, “fun” facts, time to get to the good stuff. Since I know you’re all dying to know, yes, Tommy (above) is in fact my brother. I know, it’s kinda cringe to be on the E-Board of a club that your brother’s the president of, but I promise you, that’s not how I got this position. I was democratically elected to this position after the previous Managing Editor suddenly became depressed and shot himself in the back of the head several times. Anyway, I should probably wrap this up, I hear police sirens coming towards me and while I have NOTHING TO HIDE, they may want to ask some questions about Brian’s suicide, which, in case I didn’t mention it, was just that—a suicide.
Business Manager: Joe Badalamenti
I’m Giuseppe Badalamenti but I usually just go by Joe. Next fall I’ll be a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I’m from Farmingdale, Long Island. I joined Binghamton Review because I believe it plays a crucial role in improving our campus by informing students about issues happening on and off campus. I hope to take part in this process and inform readers to the best of my ability.
8
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Copy Desk Chief (Pt. 1): Harold Rook
Hey everybody, I’m Harold (Harry) Rook, and I’m going to be a senior at Binghamton University for Fall 2020! I am a Biochemistry major with a minor in Spanish, and I am working as the Copy Desk Editor for Binghamton Review for the next year! I’m from Long Island (like approximately 80% of this campus), and hope to eventually go into drug research for my future career. Personally, I write because I enjoy investigating current events and topics, while mixing these stories with a bit of dry humor, an objectivist-esque viewpoint, and memeable quotes. Nevertheless, I believe that every opinion must be backed up with facts, and go out of my way to look for the reliable sources before coming to my own conclusions (Reuters and Associated Press are my usual go-tos). All that aside, I personally enjoy watching horror movies, my favorites being The Blaire Witch Project and It, as well as geocaching, a hobby so niche that half of you will be Googling what the hell geocaching is after reading this. Oh yeah, I also like birds. In any case, follow my Twitter account (@rookerthebooker) for the occasional meme once every four years or email me at rookerthebooker@gmail.com if you ever want to contact me. Other then that, I look forward to having an amazing year here at Binghamton Review!
Copy Desk Chief (Pt. 2): Madeline Perez
My name is Madeline Perez and I am going to be a sophomore here at Binghamton University. I’m majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Music. I’m from the nitty-gritty streets of Manorville, Long Island (yuck). Chances are you might see me around campus playing tennis or pretending I live in the woods.
Social Media Shitposter: Sebastian Roman
My name is Sebastian Roman. I’m a sophomore Computer Engineering major from Westchester County, New York.
editor@binghamtonreview.com
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
9
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE NAP
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Social Distancing and the NAP By Patrick McAuliffe
I
n ThEsE uNcErTaIn TiMeS, questions about public obligations and private rights are brought to the forefront of people’s lives. The true application of abstract ideals such as one’s civic duty or the non-aggression principle is no longer something relegated to the ivory tower, but to the concrete sidewalks in front of government buildings and the wire fences around the entrances of Walmarts. For the sake of both the healthy and the vulnerable, a solution must be found to mitigate the damage caused by COVID-19 and simultaneously reconcile our rights as Americans and as free human beings. The NAP, or non-aggression principle, is a catch-all for many libertarians in describing their ideal society. Luckily for them in their ideological struggle to seriously enter relevant political circles, it is something most people already agree with on a common-sense level. The general gist of the NAP is that force should not be used on someone without provocation. It seems reasonable enough; you shouldn’t punch someone unless they hit first, and you wouldn’t attack a random person unless they broke into your house. Getting to the details of such a principle, however, is not something that some advocates of the NAP have fully mapped out. In this same vein, not all libertarians can even agree on what constitutes “libertarianism” in quotes beyond a general trend toward freedom. Anarchists, minarchists, and Justin Amash (a new presidential candidate for the Libertarian party, I should add) all have different ideas about how governments and societies should be run, but they can all claim the moniker of “libertarian.”
10
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
What is the basis of the NAP? It relies, for the most part, on a clear conception of property rights, first and foremost being bodily autonomy. A person owns and controls their own body, by nature of an individual’s subjective consciousness. An attack on one’s person is an egregious assault on one’s autonomy, and the right to defend it is a key foundation of any free society. Any government or philosophy that argues otherwise operates from a view of the world that holds that individuals have no right or ability to choose for themselves; one’s life is not one’s own, and can be taken and sacrificed for anyone and anything. Even if a decision is clearly not in a person’s self-interest, they still have the right to do it (with limitations to be touched on later). From here, property rights of external property extend: one owns what they work for, what they have traded for as a result of their work, or what someone else has given to them voluntarily from what they themselves have worked for. Again, defense of these property rights is another key foundation of a free society. While these rights may exist for the individual, can they be defended justly on one’s own? Can an individual hope to grow their work into something bigger than themselves by just doing it all themselves, fending off robbers at every turn? Reality has shown that this is impossible, because without cooperation and specialization, humans could not build railroads, skyscrapers, iPhones, or satellites. World-changing ideas may originate with individuals, but to make them a reality, others must voluntarily work together to make those ideas concrete. Much of human history’s past accomplishments have, admittedly, relied on force and slavery, but in the past 150 years, we have accomplished more through voluntary cooperation under capitalism than any of our ancestors could hope to accomplish in hundreds of years. All of this was possible through a defense of property rights
enforced, however imperfectly or inconsistently, by the US government. This is one of the things that the NAP, for all of its appeals to common sense, fails to specify about. “No aggression unless provoked” - but who enforces the retaliation? Should justice be punitive or rehabilitative? Should it be proportional to the harm done, or should the victim decide the punishment? What if the victim is dead, or is no longer in a mental state to decide on the punishment? These questions are vital to social order and cooperation, and no matter how vehemently “rugged individualists” may deny it, social order and cooperation are necessary to living the lifestyle they’d like the freedom to lead. Even Ron Swanson got his food and stuff from Food ‘n Stuff, relying on the supermarket’s cashiers, stock people, and suppliers in order to grill his simplistic but tremendously delicious hamburger. (I’ve been rewatching Parks and Rec to fill the Tom and Marty’s-shaped hole in my heart, sue me.)
“I struggle to find the words to adequately express the unbelievable idiocy of these protesters. Wisdom comes from a most unlikely source in Kourtney Kardashian: ‘Kim, there’s people that are dying.’” Some things in society, no matter how they may seem to conflict with one’s self-interest, must be done. The biggest one that many libertarians (and a past version of myself) object to is taxation. What the rate and distribution should be specifically is a can of worms to open another time, but in principle, taxation is necessary for the defense of the individuals’ rights within a society and the national defense of that society from other societies. For this reason, taxation may even be in a person’s self-interest, if they hope to see their rights continue to be defended.
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM This gets at another economic, but also philosophical, problem called the Tragedy of the Commons. Given a public good among a group of people—whether this be a public field for farmers to graze their herds in as in the original problem, or the defense of property rights entrusted to governments—most people will freeride off of those that voluntarily choose to give to support the existence of the public good. With enough time, those that support the public good no longer see a personal incentive to do so, and the public good is destroyed or expended. For grazing fields, this may not seem to be too much of a setback, but for the breakdown of defending property rights, it is a difference of life or death for some, perhaps all, of the people in a society. Humans may have an altruistic survival instinct, but if some members of one’s tribe don’t contribute to the wellbeing of the tribe, it breaks down. This is happening right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaving aside the giant mismanagement of a quick response to the spread by US governments from the top down, the thing that will lead to more death and higher economic ruin in the long run is the admirable but stupid response by some people that can only be described as “American.” Signs of “my body, my choice” and “crimes against humanity” were two of the messages displayed at Binghamton’s own protest to reopen the state on May 1st. For several weeks this has been the sentiment of a small but vocal minority of people in our country as protests over the shutdown have spread like wildfire from city to city.
editor@binghamtonreview.com
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE NAP
I struggle to find the words to adequately express the unbelievable idiocy of these protesters. Wisdom comes from a most unlikely source in Kourtney Kardashian: “Kim, there’s people that are dying.”
“...it is clearly a moral problem to even consider reopening the country to what it was before the pandemic shutdown.” The ideological battleground over the coronavirus shutdown is a collision of so many different forces that trying to undo the Gordian knot to find a practical solution on moving forward is nearly impossible. How can the negative externalities caused by the pandemic be reconciled in our capitalist system? Assuming businesses and public places are allowed to return to normal operations while the virus is not completely contained (let alone has a viable vaccine option or proper cure), a person that doesn’t feel comfortable about the potential exposure could refuse to return to work. This may cause them to lose their job, potentially their only source of income, and put them out of an economy that would just be starting to recover. Outside of government assistance, they could find a job as an essential worker; they voluntarily put themselves in this position, so they can choose from the options available and find a new job. This doesn’t get to the root of the problem, however; being in public at the same level as before the shutdown, whether employed or jobless, while the coronavirus is still a serious concern is still causing the same negative externalities to others as trying to maintain a pre-shutdown public lifestyle.
This is where individual choices reach their limits. A coronavirus carrier chooses to leave their house and unwittingly spreads it to someone else, who may die or spread it to someone more at risk. Even though it wasn’t the carrier’s intent to do so, their actions caused someone to die. This is the reason Typhoid Mary was locked up in the 1880s. This is the reason companies are heavily fined for polluting rivers and oceans, killing the environment and poisoning those downstream. Whether or not the offender wanted to cause harm to others is inconsequential. A harm was done to an innocent bystander that had no choice in being in harm’s way. They have the same autonomy and rights as the offender, and to be so negligent of one’s actions as they pertain to others is morally reprehensible. In a time of crisis such as this, the damage done could be magnified tenfold. I don’t claim to support South Korea’s policy of tracking and doxxing their own citizens to prevent the spread, nor Utah’s disclosure policy on the travel plans of all adults entering the state without a positive coronavirus test to warrant such an invasion of privacy. However, it is clearly a moral problem to even consider reopening the country to what it was before the pandemic shutdown. Until a trustworthy vaccine is developed and better care is widely available (in other words, the negative externalities of one’s actions can be mitigated or negated), calling for the “right” to get a haircut or go to a Hooters violates the NAP of the most vulnerable among us. Stay the fuck home.
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
11
NASCAR IS BACK: YOU SHOULD WATCH
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
NASCAR is Back: You Should Watch By Dillon O’Toole
W
e are nearing two months of quarantine and, more importantly, two months without sports to keep us entertained. There is a light at the end of the tunnel however, and it is approaching fast. UFC is returning on May 9th and NASCAR is returning on May 17th. I am here to try and convince you to give NASCAR a try now that they are returning. In fact, now is a perfect time to try watching it as there will really be nothing else on. The NASCAR season only got through 4 of its 36-race schedule before the series was put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, you may be asking, “How can NASCAR return so early, wouldn’t it be a health risk?” Thats a good question, and there is an answer to that. Firstly, the races announced are not going to have any fans in attendance which greatly reduces the amount of people present, and therefore greatly reduces the chance of infection. Additionally, according to the statement released by NASCAR, all individuals must wear protective clothing and have their health screened before entering the facility. NASCAR also announced that the event procedures are going to be modified to be in compliance with CDC, OSHA, and state and local government recommendations in order to further reduce risk of infection. Since NASCAR only completed the first four races on the schedule, the race for the championship will not be the biggest storyline with the season returning. There are plenty of other exciting storylines to follow, though. Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champion driver of the number 48 Chevy, announced last year that 2020 will be his final full-time season. As of right now, this is still the case. (He did mention that he may reconsider if the season is cut short, but no developments in this regard have been announced.) Johnson has been winless since 2017, and the focus for him this season is to prove that he is still capable of being competitive. So far, he seems to be proving that he does still have it, as he is currently listed as being fifth in the points standings. It remains to be seen, however, if he will be able to keep this competitive level up and if he will be able to get one more win before the season is finished. Another veteran driver who is part of a major storyline is Ryan Newman. Back in February, Ryan Newman was involved in a serious crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 (the first, and biggest race of the season) that resulted in Newman experiencing an unknown head injury. After sitting out the next three races, Newman will be able to return to racing on the 17th as he was recently medically cleared. It will be interesting to follow Newman over the course of the season to see if he can return to the success he experienced last season. The final verteran that needs to be discussed is 2003 champion Matt Kenseth. Kenseth is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time since 2018 to compete in the remaining 32 races. Unfortunately, his return is the result of the scandal involving driver Kyle Larson’s use of a racial slur. NASCAR does not tolerate this behavior and suspended Larson immediately. Larson was eventually fired by his team after his sponsors
12
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
severed their contracts with him.. While marked by controversy, Kenseth’s return is a welcomed one and it will be great to see him competing for a championship once again. Finally, let’s discuss how the season has already gone and what may come over the next 32 races. The 2020 season has seen a resurgence among the Chevy teams. In recent years, Chevy has struggled for speed relative to Ford and Toyota. Three Chevy teams are in the top five in points currently, while Toyota has had some early struggles as their top driver in the standings is in 11th place. Ford is appearing strong as they currently occupy six of the top ten, including the top two positions in the points standings. The outcome of the manufactures remains unclear, but it will be interesting to see whether Chevy can maintain their newly found speed and if Toyota can make a comeback. Current drivers to keep an eye on include veterans Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano, as well as the younger drivers like Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney. Another interesting storyline to keep an eye on is the fight for Rookie of the Year. The current battle is being contested by the drivers Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick, John Hunter Nemechek, Brennan Poole, Christopher Bell, and Quin Houff. The favorites prior to the season were Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick, and Christopher Bell, but John Hunter Nemechk has proven so far that he is in contention for the Rookie of the Year, while Christopher Bell has struggled much more than expected. The battle among the rookies to be the best will be a great development to accompany the main championship battle across the entirety of the season, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. NASCAR is helping bring sports back to the television. If you’re suffering from sports withdrawals,, give NASCAR a shot. I, and millions of other fans, have enjoyed the sport for years. You never know, you may actually like it. If the sport ends up intriguing you and you want to know more, I suggest going on YouTube and watching either NASCAR YouTubers or highlights of old races. Some good places to start among NASCAR YouTubers would be S1apSh0es, The Iceberg, Black Flags Matter, and Eric Estepp. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy so we can put a checkered flag to this quarantine.
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
TECHNOLOGY AND CORONAVIRUS
Technology and Coronavirus By Harley Stinger
W
ith COVID-19 scaring everyone shitless, some fucking wackjobs have started blaming technology for its inception. These low IQ Theodore Kazinskis believe that new technology, specifically the 5th generation cellular standard (5G), caused people to get coronavirus. While all sane people know that this technology had nothing to do with it, and that it was a bio weapon that China released as a means of population control, COVID-19 is a greater threat to technology than technology is to it.
In addition to 5G, several other major technological leaps are occurring in the midst of this pandemic, such as the WiFi 6E standard. WiFi 6E is a standard that boosts WiFi to 6GHz, which means faster uploads and downloads at the cost of shorter range.
Of course, if you want the fastest most reliable internet connection, Cat 8 is the way to go. Cat 8 is the first major Ethernet standard since Cat 7 back in 2002. With 4 times the bandwidth and 3.3 times the speed, Cat 8 is a much faster cable. Although originally ratified in 2016, Cat 8 has only recently reached wide availability. If the internet isn’t really your thing and you’d rather watch TV like a boomer, I have good news for you. The ATSC 3.0 standard will allow
editor@binghamtonreview.com
broadcasting in 4K HDR, with Dolby Atmos, and perhaps even allow broadcasting to mobile devices. Unfortunately you’ll get targeted ads, so you might as well just use the internet.
If you’re more into interactive entertainment, I’ve got you covered. We are on the dawn of the ninth generation of video game consoles. Expected to launch “Holiday 2020,” the PlayStation 5 and XBOX series X will be over 5 times more powerful than their current generation counterparts and will have features such as SSDs and ray tracing to make games load fast and look realistic.
If you want a next-gen experience that’s a little less mainstream, the Atari VCS and Intellivison Amico are also launching this year. Both are retro revival consoles that, while not as powerful as the Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X, will be able to deliver a fun experience for casual, nostalgic gamers. Hopefully they’ll fare better than the Mad Box.
If you’re more of a PC gamer, don’t worry, you won’t miss out. Both AMD and Nvidia are rumored to have graphics cards this year that will support ray tracing. AMD’s new RDNA 2.0 architecture will not only show up in graphics cards later this year, but is also in both the PS5 and XBOX Series X. As for Nvidia, the 3000 series graphics cards rumored for August allegedly have 33 teraflops of compute performance! That’s more than the Xbox series X and PlayStation 5 combined!
Speaking of graphics cards, did you know you can use yours to help fight coronavirus? Stanford University’s Folding@home is a distributed computing network that uses your computer’s CPU and GPU power (when you’re not using it of course) to run protein folding simulations that help medical researchers better understand how COVID-19 and other diseases function, so they can develop a cure or a vaccine. You can run simulations on your computer by downloading the Folding@home client and running it on your computer.
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
13
THE CASE AGAINST GOVERNMENT OVERREACH
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
The Case Against Government Overreach By Joe Badalamenti
T
he COVID-19 pandemic will go down in history as one of the most significant events of the 21st century. This is the case not just because of the direct consequences of the virus, but also because of controversial government actions such as shelter-in-place orders that have been implemented. Some have been quick to justify the lockdowns by citing safety concerns. Others have condemned them, including pundit Dennis Prager, who called the lockdowns “the greatest mistake in the history of humanity.” Looking at the facts, statistics, and natural phenomenon, I have personally come to the conclusion that a majority of the government’s actions are not only unnecessary, but are contributing to a trend of increasing government overreach. One of the most important facets of this issue are the economic implications. The most important economic concepts in this case are opportunity cost and risk. The opportunity cost is the best alternative given up when a decision is made. Risk is the probability that a negative event can occur as a result of an action. In our current situation, the risk of contracting COVID-19 has increased enough for many to halt their economic activities and go into quarantine. While some may say that this is a result of government lockdown orders, statistics show that many people had taken measures such as halting travel and closing businesses before any government actions. This happened because people naturally respond to risk as they see fit. While staying in quarantine for a prolonged period may protect you from the coronavirus, many have to deal with the long-term opportunity cost. If you stay in your house all day, then you likely won’t be able to work or earn income to pay for necessary expenses such as food or utilities. After a certain amount of time in quarantine, many would opt to go out in public and face the risk of contracting coronavirus so
14
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
that they can resume work and begin to make money again. While there are exceptions, such as minors or those who can transition to working online, there are a significant number of people who still wish to work, even under these risks, as the opportunity cost is too great. In fact, we know that there are currently over twenty million people in the United States who have claimed to be unemployed, meaning that they are looking for work. With these economic principles in mind we can now evaluate some of the government’s actions. Starting with what can be considered the most appropriate actions, short term immigration restrictions are useful to prevent importing infected persons. Moreover, individual stimulus relief can cover expenses of those who cannot transition to an online workplace. While these actions are useful to help those in need, governments have taken many more actions, with more severe consequences, like trying to ration resources. Items like masks and hand sanitizer have skyrocketed in demand recently, as people want to avoid becoming sick as much as possible. Normally in times like these prices will increase to reflect demand, given the limited amount of supply, as part of a mechanism known as price gouging. While it has its problems, price gouging is the best way to achieve a fair distribution of resources. However, the government has turned to more authoritarian methods. Some recent examples include the Tennessee government attempting to shut down a vendor with surplus supplies, as well as the CDC spreading false information about masks. While these actions may achieve similar results, they’re a good way to lose trust from your constituents. Another government failure is trying to predict the number of resources in demand. One case is the surplus of ventilators. As a result of a fixed quota for ventilators, many hospitals ended up with a surplus of ventilators. The issue here is that the
materials could have been used for different equipment which also may be in need in hospitals. Finally, there is the issue of essential businesses. At the beginning of the lockdown, many states have labeled certain businesses as “non-essential,” meaning there are restrictions placed upon their operating hours. The problem is that what is or is not “essential” is entirely subjective. All businesses are essential in that they contribute goods or services to the public, as well as an income to their employees. Another important facet to consider is the constitutionality of these actions. The United States Constitution states that all people are endowed with inalienable rights which cannot be infringed. Despite this, states seem eager to enforce arbitrary restrictions. A good example would be police arresting a woman in Raleigh, North Carolina for protesting lockdown restrictions. The police claimed that “protesting is a non-essential activity,” and that the governor can restrict this activity. However, this is in direct conflict with the right to free speech, as protected by the 1st Amendment. While there are some limitations to free speech, protesting does not fall under any of these exceptions. As expected, more overreach has occurred, only this time the main instances are religious services, such as a funeral for an important rabbi in New York. Of course these actions have sparked plenty of outrage. The reason these protections are so importants is because the framers knew that it was never the job of the government to regulate non-violent behavior in society. Despite the presence of these arguments, more and more people seem eager to justify increased government involvement in our lives. While this trend may look appealing to some, the results are proven to be quite harmful, especially if they last over a long period of time.
Vol. XXXII, Issue XI
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
The Games of 2010
THE GAMES OF 2010
By Dillon O’Toole
W
ell, the end of the semester is almost here. It’s been a rather crazy couple of months, hasn’t it? Since classes are almost over, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about what to do in your newly acquired free time. As you probably could guess from the title of the article, it may have something to do with the video games released in 2010. With the country mostly still in lockdown, now’s a better time than any to catch up on all those great games you missed. Let’s go back in time ten years. Looking back at 2010, there were a lot of great games that came out. Some of these games I have played a ton, but others I haven’t ever touched before and I’m willing to bet that I am not the only one to have missed some quality games. I hope that you are inspired by this piece to pick up and try one of these games you may have missed, or to go back and enjoy one of your old favorites. The Single Player Experience: 2010 saw the release of several great single player games. But first, let me clarify that some of these games in this section may have multiplayer. The primary focus of these games was the single player experience, however, and thus I am putting them in this section. The first game I will discuss is my personal favorite of this category: Fallout: New Vegas. Fallout is a series of games that take place in the wasteland of Earth after a nuclear war. Out of all of the 3D Fallout games, Fallout: New Vegas is arguably the best of the series. Fallout: New Vegas is an open world roleplaying game (RPG) and it takes place in, you’ll never guess it, the remains of Las Vegas. The one major downside to this game, and any other game published by Bethesda, is its lack of stability and its tendency to crash. In my own experience the console version is much more stable than the PC version, but if you know how to install mods the PC version will become equally or more stable than the console version. The next game in this section would have to be Metro 2033, a game that follows the story of the Russian survivors of a 2013 nuclear war. This game is not an open world RPG like Fallout: New Vegas, but it is just as good. The game can be extremely difficult if you play on the higher difficulties as resource management is a major focus within the game, but the story remains compelling on any difficulty setting. I have not played
these next games but I do know that they are great games that are worth playing. Other notable single player games from 2010 are Bioshock 2, Dead Rising 2, God of War III, Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, and Super Mario Galaxy 2. (I guess 2010 was the year of the sequels.) Multiplayer Games: Maybe you’re not the type of person that likes to play games by yourself. If so, don’t worry as there were some great multiplayer games released in 2010 as well. Are you a fan of first person shooters (FPS)? If so, there’s two great games that I am going to discuss. The first is Halo: Reach. Halo: Reach is the fifth main game within the Halo franchise, and the last game to be made by original Halo developer Bungie. The story is a prequel to the original Halo game, but the main reason you probably want to play it is for the multiplayer. (The story is really good as well, though, and you can play through it with three other people.) Fortunately, the entire game was recently remastered and released as a part of the Master Chief Collection. That means you don’t have to worry about those pesky outdated graphics getting in the way of your experience playing the game. But maybe you aren’t a fan of those futuristic sci-fi FPS games (or you have a Playstation). Fear not, because Call of Duty was still good in 2010. The game released that year was the original Black Ops, and it is one of the more beloved games within the franchise. As it is ten years old, finding a match may be difficult (I couldn’t find a quick match but I also checked at 2:30 in the morning) but once you find a match it should be a fun time. Additionally, Treyarch, the developer of Black Ops, is releasing another Call of Duty game later this year, so it is always great to go back before playing the new game. If FPS games aren’t your thing, maybe you should take out that guitar controller and play Rock Band 3. The classic music game was released 10 years ago, but it is still regarded as one of the best games in the series. So if you want to rock out, Rock Band 3 is your game. Strategy Games: The final section of this article will be about two strategy games released in 2010. The first game in this section is Civilization V, widely considered one of the best Civilization games released. The other game is Paradox’s Victoria II, a grand strategy that allows you to control a country from 1836 to 1936. I don’t have much experience with either of these games, but the series and publisher for both Civilization V and Victoria II respectively are well regarded and should be great for those who are looking to revisit older strategy games. 2010 was a great year for video games. If you’re bored in quarantine, maybe re-visit some of the games released ten years ago. The combination of nostalgia and quality should result in a pretty good time.
editor@binghamtonreview.com
BINGHAMTON REVIEW
15