Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal?

Question

Who exactly is this satire aimed at? The English for not doing anything to help this situation, or the Irish for their immorality (for example, at one point he says that a mother would kill an illegitimate child because of financial burden more than shame)? Thanks.

Answer 1

Satire, by its nature, is always an attack on the powerful.
Attacking the powerless is simply cruel.
So Swift is clearly attacking the British for their failures.

Answer 2

The English, duh.