tablesetting complete with forks, knives, and spoons, and a baby on the plate in the center above the words "A Modest Proposal"

A Modest Proposal

by Jonathan Swift

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I need to create my own 'Modest Proposal' inspired by Swift's work. What political, economic, or social issues could I address with a satirical and unfeasible solution?

So far I've looked at: State Pension Shortfalls in the United States, Federal health care spending, Federal entitlement spending, Global Warming, The Unsustainable Welfare States of France or Britain, Income Inequality in the US, Homelessness.

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You are on a good path in thinking about this project. What I would focus on is a problem that could be easily solved in the real world if the people with the power to do so simply exercised a little bit of commonsense. Part of Swift's point is that there is no reason to go to extreme solutions to end destitute poverty in Ireland. The clueless narrator even lists a series of simple and sensible solutions to alleviate the suffering of the poorest of the poor. Swift, if not his narrator, wants readers to feel how ridiculous it is to resort to cannibalism to fight poverty.

You mention federal health care spending. We waste a lot of money on health care in this country on administrative costs. Countries like Mexico and Thailand manage to afford healthcare for all. The fact that far poorer countries can finance public health and how they do it is something you could weave into your narrative.

You might, however, propose something like paid gladiator combat for the sick–people would pay to see them fight to the death, with only one winner–these sports events would make a profit, insure one person (the winner) got the health care he or she needed, and get rid of the problem of too many unhealthy people. It would probably terrify most people out of seeking health care, also lowering costs.

If it sounds a little like a medical Hunger Games, remember that those novels are based on "A Modest Proposal."

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I think a lot of your problems could be addressed through a satire like Swift's and I think you could fulfill all three of your criteria.  For example:

How about killing everyone once they reach retirement age or maybe after they have a nice 5 year retirement?  That would solve all the problems of the state pension funds, wouldn't it?  If you have people living only a short while after they retire, your problem is solved completely.  And the solution seems pretty infeasible to me.  This solution also shows something about the problem.  It criticizes the idea that people can just have these long and luxurious retirements that are funded by the taxpayers.

Or for income inequality, how about taking 100% of everyone's earnings and then redistributing the money equally to everyone?  Once again, no more income inequality.  Once again, totally infeasible.  This one criticizes people who think that we can end income inequality through government action.

So I think that you need to just think of outrageous ideas like these and the one in the previous post about living in an Amish paradise.  That's pretty much what Swift did, right?

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Just off the cuff, ... how about the requirement of all citizens of the United States (is it limited to our country?) to live like the Old Order Amish in order to prevent Global Warming.  No electricity.  No cars.  No gas-powered machines.  Battery power only.  No burning of coal.  Bring us back to the 1700s with one law.  Awesome!  People would be force to become farmers, drive a horse and buggy, play games for entertainment besides a Wii, ... learn to talk again without all of this darn technology! [One of my best friends is Old Order Amish and, I'm tellin' ya', it's not a bad way to live!  Happy people, they are!]

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