A Modest Proposal

click to enlarge In the wake of Katrina, there's been a lot of talk lately about the racial disparities of wealth and health in these United States, not to mention the ever-growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Of course, there have always been haves and have-nots, and there always will be. In times of crisis, however, we often become painfully aware of such lamentable conditions. Listening to the news this morning, I was reminded of a pamphlet written by Jonathan Swift almost three centuries ago. Swift suggested, ironically, that the Irish poor solve their money and overpopulation problems by butchering their children and selling the meat to the rich…perhaps accompanied by drawn butter and a dry white wine?