<P> In the tradition of Roman satire, Swift introduces the reforms he is actually suggesting by paralipsis: </P> <P> Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants . Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shop - keepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it . </P> <P> Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients,' till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice . </P> <P> George Wittkowsky argued that Swift's main target in A Modest Proposal was not the conditions in Ireland, but rather the can - do spirit of the times that led people to devise a number of illogical schemes that would purportedly solve social and economic ills . Swift was especially attacking projects that tried to fix population and labour issues with a simple cure - all solution . A memorable example of these sorts of schemes "involved the idea of running the poor through a joint - stock company". In response, Swift's Modest Proposal was "a burlesque of projects concerning the poor" that were in vogue during the early 18th century . </P>

Who is swift attacking in a modest proposal