I love the French fest here, and subscribe to all of it. I am a beneficiary, grew up there, worked there (we definitely wake up in the morning…) — white middle class privileged, the whole thing. Let’s not fall for the stereotypes either though. France also has its own dark side. If you’re Mahmadou or Mohamed, or if you send a resume with 93 zip code, good luck finding a job. Public school fled by families who can afford private and avoid social mixing to preserve chances for their offspring to win admission to the French Ivy League prep schools and Universities. Unemployment rate in excess of 10% for decades (now a generation effect), relatively high rate of depression and suicide (though a lot of factors come into play here). So yes, all in all, it is vastly more humane and grounded, as the piece beautifully describes, but it has its darker sides as well.