Friday, January 07, 2005

A Modest Proposal

Charlie's clever satire at "AnotherThink" reminded me of the original 'Modest Proposal', one of the great satires of all time: Jonathan Swift's 1729 "A Modest Proposal for Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being A Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to The Public," which you can find online here.

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich.


If you've never read it, do so; if nothing else, it's a great preventative medicine against letting economic considerations trump moral ones.