Explanation: A famous satirical proposal of the early 18th century AD was penned by Johnathan Swift, titled "A Modest Proposal." In it, Swift excoriates the British government and electorate for their murder-by-neglect-and-taxation of the Irish, which starved many or drove them to crime (and subsequently the noose)… by sarcastically proposing that a more humane alternative, the titular ‘modest’ proposal, would be for rich Brits to purchase infants from poor Irish families and eat them. It would be a faster, less painful death, that gives more utility to the world, and at least relieves the poverty of the Irish family by a little bit!

It’s a classic. Naturally, the targets of this satire did not much care for it.

The Brits also dominated the spice trade via control of India in roughly the same period, despite English cooking being infamously light on spices. This was a bit of a ‘suffering from success’ moment for the English - English cooking actually used to be quite enthusiastic about spices. But their control of the spice trade allowed them to get cheap spices… which caused The Poors(tm) to start using spices… which caused spices to no longer be fashionable at the tables of the rich… leading the middle class to imitate the rich and bland up their food to appear stylish and potentially socially mobile.

At least, that’s what THE SYSTEM wants you to think! Clearly, delectable roast Irish infants were taking the lion’s share of imported spices, leaving none for any other dishes of English cuisine. 😔

Me, a lord in the 18th century, looking at my spice rack after hearing poor people like nutmeg