Swiftian

He uses Jonathan Chait's essay* on bringing back Saddam as the basis for this, but he describes it as "Swiftian", meaning he believes it was satire, presumably in the mode of "A Modest Proposal" which presented a horrifying option to an intractable problem in order to illuminate the lack of moral concern on the part of the ruling class.

Hullabaloo 2006

In a "Swiftian" spirit, the Moose urges politicians to completely ignore the blogosphere.

Bull Moose 2006

In a "Swiftian" spirit, the Moose urges politicians to completely ignore the blogosphere.

Archive 2006-01-01 2006

As Clifford Geertz has argued, in a witty and perceptive essay on Benedict, in itself the book is perhaps better seen as a kind of Swiftian satire, in which the alienness of Japan is used to unsettle US assumptions about the naturalness of their own society, than as a work of 'scienti c' anthropology (Geertz 1988; see also Lummis 1982).

Recently Uploaded Slideshows route66mn 2009

Here's a (Swiftian modest) suggestion for evaluating academic research, maintaining quality, and speeding up the process.

Revolution in Academic Affairs?, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

"As Jack and his associates" bring justice to the nursery world, "they also cast a Swiftian eye on corporate hubris, race relations, the drug trade and myriad other targets."

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde: Book summary 2010

Last week, Steven Pearlstein offered a Swiftian proposal in The Washington Post to legalize buying votes and thus make the bribing of voters -- already the norm in practice -- a legal norm as well.

Benjamin R. Barber: Selling the USA to the Highest Bidder and Paying Off the National Debt Benjamin R. Barber 2012

This has such a a Swiftian feel about it with Low Heels and High Heels and waging war over cracked eggs.

Amen Redux! – Brian Keene 2009

Now I must live with the fact that I'm no Swiftian satirist, or even just a prankster with a good idea.

Kembrew McLeod: The Day I Killed Freedom of Expression 2010

Leaving aside this Swiftian solution, the deficit in that instance will go up because spending power will be diminished, unemployment will increase further and the automatic stabilizers will kick in.

Marshall Auerback: The Self-Inflicted Insanity of American Unemployment 2010