I know what you’re thinking, and it’s
that Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” seems like just too perfect of an
idea. Well after reading it I felt the same as you. What a great idea, and if
it were in the modern day it could be a perfect solution to the abortion debate
going on throughout the world.
But my question is this: why stop
at babies? Why put an age limit on this immaculate plan? Poor and starving
people are still poor and starving people regardless of how long they’ve been
alive. I propose that a hierarchy is made, so that anyone is capable of selling
another as a meal so long as that person is below them on the chart. My
immediate gut-reaction is to rank it (from bottom to top): infants, foreigners,
female children (“children” being that they’re still in custody of an adult), black
people (regardless of age, gender, occupation, etc.) male children, wives, Asians,
husbands, landlords, politicians, royalty, nuns, priests, and finally the Pope
himself, of course.
This could become a worldwide phenomenon. It would
immediately solve both the overpopulation problem throughout the world (a topic
that is almost never discussed, even though it has a major effect on just about
every other aspect of our society today) and it would also put an immediate end
to world hunger. As Louis C.K. said, “There’s no end to what you can do when
you don’t give a fuck about particular people! You can do anything!”
Alex, I do not know the level of seriousness in your blog post, but I would say that your opinion on the idea would be valid if we lived in a world where cannibalism was the norm and people did not see having children as expanding the family but making food and money for your current family. But since we definitely do not live in that society, I felt that this proposal was insensitive and bold, trying to get the attention of the English. I mostly saw this proposal as a cry for attention to show the problems that the Irish are having and a simple way to fix all these problems. It seems like he was proposing the most outlandish idea so everyone would stop talking about the problems they are having. He gave one idea that would get people talking and make them shut up almost. I hope that made sense, but that's how I viewed that proposal. Also, Do not forget to use quotes from the reading in your blog posts.
ReplyDeleteI like that you took the satirical strategy in your response Alex, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the requirements as Katie points out. Obviously you are being humorous here, and I love that you are having fun with these, but you could have still incorporated something specific from the reading and asked some discussion questions.
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