Question

Who is Swift ridiculing using satire in "A Modest Proposal"?

children who were born into poverty and were not properly fed
the English government, which seemed to care little about the Irish people
individuals who were underprivileged and had difficulty finding employment
English government officials, who believed selling children to eat was a good idea

Answer 1

2. the English government, which seemed to care little about the Irish people

Swift’s satire targets the British/Anglo‑Irish ruling class and their callous economic policies toward Ireland (and the heartless attitudes of wealthy landlords and officials), not the poor children themselves.