![]() McConnell warned that the Democrats’ plans to end the filibuster would result in a “scorched earth senate” in which all productive work would grind to a halt. In 2021, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put a neat, post-apocalyptic twist on the scorched earth phrase. ![]() Clinton’s scorched earth comments can be compared to allegations of “mudslinging” – it’s just another way of accusing one’s political enemies of fighting dirty. ![]() The comments came about after her opponents accused her husband, former president Bill Clinton, of committing rape. Clinton charged that Trump was running a “dark and divisive” campaign against her and insisted that she was against “meanness” herself. Later in the same year, Hillary Clinton, running for president against Donald Trump, claimed that her opponents were mounting their own scorched earth campaign against her. In this context, “scorched earth” means burning bridges as well as burning land. President Obama’s legacy might very well be that future presidents are going to go for broke in terms of pushing their plans, spend zero effort in terms of trying to bring opponents on board, and not hold anyone in their administration accountable, because owning up to blunders would make the commander-in-chief look bad. In 2016, the Idaho State Journal ran a piece asking, “Will Obama’s Legacy Be More Scorched Earth Politics?” That’s probably why “scorched earth” is usually a criticism flung around by pundits who disapprove of a particular politician. The goal is victory, not peace and prosperity. In politics, a scorched earth policy usually means a total disregard for the people who are hurt by one’s campaign or one’s policies. The tactic was designed to sow terror and discourage resistance. During his so-called march to the sea, Sherman and his men burned homes, barns, and fields belonging to Georgians who tried to fight back. In America, the military scorched earth approach is associated with General William T. ![]() When Julius Caesar was trying to conquer Gaul (modern day France), Gaul’s leaders literally scorched the earth, setting fire to their own crops and buildings, to prevent Roman soldiers from getting their hands on food and shelter. This strategy dates back to ancient times. The phrase is originally a military term, referring to a wartime strategy of pursuing the utter destruction of the enemy’s land, possessions, and even livestock. A “scorched earth” approach is a ruthless attempt to win at all costs.Ī “take no prisoners” approach is a rough synonym both terms imply a total focus on victory without regard to consequences. ![]()
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