Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"

In "A Modest Proposal", Swift gives his solution for the famine problem that was facing Ireland at the time. His proposal is that after being fed by their mothers for a year, children should become useful members of the society by either providing food or clothing. To do this, he suggests that the poor people's children should be fattened up and eaten by people of the community. He also says that their skin could be used for ladies' gloves or summer boots for men. However, he does say that it would be cruel to kill 12-14 year old children.

I cannot believe that this was the best solution he could think of. What really gets me is that he doesn't think its cruel to kill and eat infants, but with older children it would be. I do not see how that is any different. In the essay he also says that his solution would reduce the number of abortions. I guess that may be true because its not like the women will have to raise them anyway. Although, I do not see how killing them for food a year later is any different.