An EU official hangs the Union Jack next to the European Union flag at the VIP entrance at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. British Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting EU leaders two days ahead of a crucial EU summit. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Brexit

Matteo Renzi’s impassionate appeal did not work. I actually wonder how many people read the Italian PM’s article in the Guardian on the eve of the referendum. I also wonder who wrote it for him, because everybody knows his English is a mess.

So, the Leave faction won. Everything I despise about Britain and the British won.

Truth be told, they were never meant to be a part of Europe. Their innate tendency to play both ends against the middle hardly boded well for their long-term membership. Their ill-guided aspiration to be first among equals was also a stark reminder that Britain is an island—and island people always feel different in a condescending way.

I keep thinking of a not-so-friendly epithet the Germans have for the Brits: Inselaffen or Island Monkeys, although I know quite a few nice, straightforward British people. So, look at it this way, the monkeys won.

Bernie

Bernie Sanders, the only honest person in the US presidential race, just said he’ll vote for Hillary Clinton.

If I were a Sanders supporter, I’d Feel the Bern in my stomach and look for a convenient place to puke my guts out.
By so doing, Sanders intends to reunite the party. What he’ll end up doing instead is disgust and disgruntle all those who believed in him. All those voters who, disillusioned with Obama’s empty promises and failed presidency, rallied around old Bernie are now shell-shocked and wondering what happened to their standard-bearer.

He has vowed to vote for one of the most corrupt individuals ever to run for president. His fear is that a divided Democratic party will be weak against presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump. I can’t help but wonder how many Sanders supporters will be jumping on The Donald’s bandwagon, instead.

Bergoglio

On his way to Armenia, the pope commented on the Brexit vote. [It’s]“the will expressed by the people”, he told the press. That’s another priceless papal platitude from pope Bergoglio. Yes, that’s almost verbatim the definition of a referendum. Well done, pope, you sure know your civics. I wish you would remember that part about the separation between church and state that you so often pretend to forget.