That could be where he learned to use "français de souche" without batting an eye. He might have studied Lafontaine in school but there's no excuse for giving in to such shoddy thinking -- the idea of opposing "français de souche" to "immigrants" is one that has no political, moral, historical, or (if you insist on thinking this way) genetic basis in reality. Its merely who shares fantasy of "true France" put forth by Barrès and taken by LePen
I have no idea how to describe Rieff's politics - they don't fit into any category around in the US today. In foreign policy a mix of paleo-con and minimalist realism with a a few leftover traces of his old liberalism? I've seen a lot less of his views on domestic policy, but I get a feeling of a profound cynicism and pessimism above everything else.
In France, the strong community linked to that of the projects, mostly geographical rather than racial. See Kassovitz' La Haine for an example : the three out-of-the-projects heroes are a black, an arab, and a jew. Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
PS - Citing a political work of fiction isn't necessarily the best evidence since it reflects the vision and agenda of the creator, however, note that in the film the three characters in addition to being poor project dwellers, are all ethnic/racial minority children of at best semi-assimilated immigrant parents.
Thus insisting on "immigrants" helps the xenophobic talking points of Sarko and Le Pen, and is not really grounded in reality. In fact, during the riots, the projects in the north also rioted - but there the poor people weren't from immigrant parents. Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
Since he recounts meetings with people, one assumes he speaks French. Any number of Paris correspondents of major outlets can do that, yet examples of poor understanding of France and repetition of conventional wisdom abound in their work. Rare are the journalists whose individual qualities and knowledge of their subject show through. Most just churn out yet another footnote in one of the chapters of the prevailing narrative. I don't see what Rieff is doing in this article, other than that. When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
The fact is that most journalists try to strip out their supposed personal leanings (often to the point of exageration), whereas owners very blatantly push their agendas without feeling the need to create any balance. The result are cowed or willing journalists leaning right. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
