In the aftermath of Saturday's Charlottesville, Virginia chaos - a physically violent conflict between disgusting white supremacist alt-right thugs and repulsive Antifa thugs, which culminated in a murderous attack by an apparent alt-righter on the Antifa crowd and other miscellaneous counter-protesters, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to another 19 - the hot takes have been coming fast and furious.

Here are some of the things you need to know about the awful events of yesterday.

1. The Alt-Right Is Not Conservative.

One of the hottest takes from the Left is that the alt-right represents the entire right - that what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia represented conservatives broadly. That's factually incorrect, and intellectually dishonest. The alt-right is not just conservatives who like memes or who dislike Paul Ryan. The alt-right is a philosophy of white supremacy and white nationalism espoused by the likes of Vox Day, Richard Spencer, and Jared Taylor.

Here's Jared Taylor explaining the alt-right:


They openly acknowledge their antipathy for the Constitution and conservatism; they believe that strong centralized government is necessary to preserve "white civilization." They label all their enemies "cucks" - men in favor of "race-mixing." Here's a solid guide to what the alt-right actually thinks.

Chinese citizens have a very balanced view of the standoff between North Korea and the United States.

China's official policy on North Korea is widely known. Beijing argues for North Korea to cease its weapons tests and argues for the US and its allies to cease testing weapons and conducting military drills in and around South Korea. Furthermore, China like Russia, is calling for direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

But what do ordinary Chinese think?

The group Asian Boss went to the streets of Beijing to ask mainly young but highly informed Chinese men and women what they thought about North Korea.

The author of the google memo is wrong, but many of his detractors are wronger

So, a google employee named James Damore posted a 'manifesto' round the office. It got leaked, and he got fired. I've read the manifesto, (hereafter the googlememo) and I disagree with it on some major points (more on that below). However, I think it's a well argued and respectfully put. I've seen people denouncing the writing, but they've been of the 'humanities snob' crowd that would rather he'd posted in Latin. I'm sure they will have just as much derision for this blogpost. In fact, the googlememo is one of the least offensive things I've read. This blogpost will be more offensive (humanities scholars have likely already added me to their shitlist).

However, this blogpost isn't really about the memo. It's about the reaction that has done so much to confirm Mr Damore's accusations, a reaction by media and online individuals that has been dishonest, short-sighted and utterly self interested. I'm not going to say it was 'well meaning' as so many have, because frankly I don't think it was. This reaction illustrates what the modern left has become: a rich person's weapon dedicated to destroying the social framework of rights that people struggled generations to put in place. 'Social Justice' is a lie, as anyone who has been paying attention will see that it's always justice for the few, and never for you. For people who actually care about a fair society for all, it's time to walk away. The left is the enemy of the people now.

In what's becoming a recurrent staple of US overseas adventurism, over half the US$76 billion worth of US military aid sent to Afghan security forces since 2002 has been "looted and embezzled," according to a former intelligence officer, due to "brazen corruption" that has seen money and weapons siphoned to private militias.

Kabul Khan Tadbeer, a former Afghan intelligence official and a security analyst, said internal forces that seized power after the ostensible fall of the Taliban in 2001 armed private militias and even embezzled numerous small arms and ammunition for profit.

He called for greater efforts in Washington and Kabul to uncover corruption, and suggested there should be a halt on further aid until the missing equipment was accounted for.

While US$76 billion in military aid was "enough" to last Afghanistan for 40 years without any corruption, he said, not even half of it was left as of August 2017.

The New School - a private university in New York City - is all over microaggressions.

The school's online guide breaks it all down. Did you know, for instance, there are three types of microaggressions? The microinsult, the microassault and, of course, the insidious microinvalidation.

Things get even more interesting once you delve into the guide's examples of microaggressions. There are, of course, the usual suspects, such as saying "You throw well for a girl" and telling a person of color, "You act/speak/write so white."

But then there are microaggressions such as "seats in the classroom / auditorium / office" that are "too small for many people."

In addition, "the majority of readings on all your class syllabi feature only readings from white cisgender men."

And lest you forget, "monuments, artwork, or portraiture in public spaces that are predominantly (often exclusively) white cisgender men and women."

Companies operating in Belgium sent more than €221 billion to countries local authorities regard as tax havens, according to Belgian daily Le Soir.

Belgium's gross domestic product was €466 billion last year. According to the country's tax authorities, 853 Belgian companies funneled almost a half of the country's economic output to tax havens.

Brussels blacklisted tax havens in 31 countries, including Monaco, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Singapore, Panama and Hong Kong are not on the blacklist, while Luxembourg was temporarily excluded.

If a Belgian company pays over €100,000 into bank accounts or to persons domiciled in the blacklisted countries, it must declare these payments.

Unidentified assailants shot dead seven members of Syria's White Helmets rescue service early on August 12 during a raid on their base in northwestern Syria.

The seven volunteers were all killed by bullets to the head.

"The civil defense center in Sarmin was the target of an armed attack by unknown assailants in which seven volunteers were killed," the White Helmets said in a statement.

"Two minibuses, some white helmets and walkie-talkies were stolen."

It was not immediately clear if the raid had political or criminal motives. Sarmin is in Idlib Province, which has witnessed clashes recently between rival insurgent groups.

After learning over the weekend that Trump plans to call for an investigation into China over allegations that the nation violated U.S. intellectual property rights and forced technology transfers, we learn that several Chinese companies may have submitted bids for Fiat Chrysler (FCA) in a deal that would include the company's iconic Jeep brand. According to AutomotiveNews, at least one Chinese automaker made a bid earlier this month for FCA at a slight premium to the company's prevailing market price but it was rejected for being too low.

Representatives of a well-known Chinese automaker made at least one offer this month to buy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles at a small premium over its market value, Automotive News has learned. The offer was rejected for not being enough, a source said.

Meanwhile, other sources independently identified executives from other large Chinese automakers conducting their own due diligence on a potential purchase of FCA, including meeting last week with representatives of U.S. retail groups about a potential acquisition. A source said FCA executives have traveled to China to meet with Great Wall Motor Co. And Chinese delegations were seen last week at FCA's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.

It's unclear which Chinese automaker or automakers are pursuing FCA. Different sources have pointed to involvement by different ones - Dongfeng Motor Corp., Great Wall, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group or FCA's current joint venture partner in China, Guangzhou Automobile Group. But it is also unclear which company or companies are likely to follow through or succeed.

Unsurprisingly, FCA isn't talking, nor are any of the four Chinese automakers. But if a sale proceeds, the quintessentially American Jeep brand - once owned by the Germans and most recently by the Italians/Dutch - may soon be owned by the Chinese.

Merck CEO Ken Frazier has resigned from the President's Manufacturing Council as a "matter of personal conscience" following Trump's apparent lack of rejection of "expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy."

Statement from Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck:

"I am resigning from the President's American Manufacturing Council.

Our country's strength stems from its diversity and the contributions made by men and women of different faiths, races, sexual orientations and political beliefs.

America's leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal.

As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism."

Despite the sanctions and the fall in oil prices, the Russian economy has grown at the fastest pace since the third quarter of 2012, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung states.

According to Rosstat, the growth rate of economic development in the second quarter of this year by 2.5% exceeded similar indicators in 2016. Since the end of last year, the country's GDP has increased again, which was not observed for seven quarters before.

According to analysts interviewed, monthly indicators of economic activity suggest a recovery of the Russian economy on a broad basis. "There was a sharp increase in construction and industry," commented Rosstat's data to Capital Economics research company.

Growth was also observed in the sphere of trade. At the same time, it was noted that agriculture is the only sector of the economy that has not yet fully recovered. This area in the second quarter showed a decline.