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.
dʒˈɔːɹdʒ wɪtkˈaʊski ˈɑːɹɡjuːd ðæt swˈɪfts mˈeɪn tˈɑːɹɡɪt ɪn ɐ mˈɑːdɪst pɹəpˈoʊzəl wʌz nˌɑːt ðə kəndˈɪʃənz ɪn ˈaɪɚlənd, bˌʌt ɹˈæðɚ ðə kændˈuː spˈɪɹɪt ʌvðə tˈaɪmz ðæt lˈɛd pˈiːpəl tə dɪvˈaɪz ɐ nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv ɪlˈɑːdʒɪkəl skˈiːmz ðæt wʊd pɚpˈoːɹɾᵻdli sˈɑːlv sˈoʊʃəl ænd ˌiːkənˈɑːmɪk ˈɪlz.