Modest Proposal Blog Entry

I believe the major issue that Swift is trying to bring to life through his peace is the extreme numbers of homeless beggars in poverty, especially children. He states that in the current time in Ireland there are beggars crowding the streets, commonly accompanied by three or four children in rags. He also emphasizes the negative impacts of these poverty issues have on society. Swift states that because this people simply beg for their money and do not count in the work force, they drag down on the nation of Ireland as a whole. With 120,000 children in poverty at the time, Swift contemplates the astronomical funds that will be needed to raise them, and where the money will come from.

The satire employed by Swift is very supporting to his piece because it helps him accomplish his difficult purpose. His purpose was to raise the country's awareness about very serious social issues that are having a major negative impact. Rather than using a typical, boring informative style, with real statistics and a logical approach, Swift broke the barriers by using the "awe" factor. His proposal was so radical and obviously satirical that it drew major attention, thus successfully achieving his purpose of gaining attention for the social issue at hand. If the author had instead had written the social proposal the way they usually are, with a formal tone and serious demeanor, he would have received a lukewarm response. Take a moment and think about all the social movement pieces that are written in this manner everyday about problems across the globe. In general, few people really read them and rarely is there something done to stop the social injustice. Swift's piece was extremely popular, and therefore successful, because he broke this normal chain by using heavy satire. By proposing such an absurd suggestion, he conveyed his message of the importance of something being done to end this poverty issue.

My Modest Proposal:

The American nation is torn on the issue of securing our southern border from illegal Mexican immigration. Many citizens cry that the numbers of illegal aliens are crippling our economy and exploit our health care systems. Others claim that these illegal aliens have a right to the American dream as well.

I propose a solution to end this issue once and for all: turn all the citizens on welfare in America into ruthless bounty hunters for illegal aliens. Not only would this rid our nation of illegal Mexican intruders, but would also provide a steady stream of employment and income to the nation's poorest. They would be paid $1,000 for each illegal that they find, and $2,500 if it is a pregnant Mexican woman. This would save the nation money it would have to reinvest into securing our borders, all the while employing an entirely new workforce. We could get the same result of far less illegal aliens, and turn a great cost into a gain for the American economy. This modest proposal would lift the crushing stranglehold of illegal Mexicans in this country, and provide thousands of new jobs for those in need.