Slash and burn?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="His">His</span> <span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="resulted">resulted</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Put">Put</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="style">style</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="treats">treats</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="harshly">harshly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="unsympathetically">unsympathetically</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ruthless">ruthless</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="much">much</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="infer">infer</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span>”.</p><p><span word="Originally">Originally</span>, “<span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="descriptive">descriptive</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="woods">woods</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="farming">farming</span>. <span word="Slash">Slash</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cutting">cutting</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="bushes">bushes</span>. <span word="Burn">Burn</span>? <span word="Yeah">Yeah</span>, <span word="light">light</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fire">fire</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ash">ash</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="primitive">primitive</span> <span word="method">method</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="farming">farming</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="today">today</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="drastic">drastic</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="destructive">destructive</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="attentive">attentive</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="detail">detail</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tropical">tropical</span> <span word="forests">forests</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="endangered">endangered</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="there">there</span>.</p><p><span word="No">No</span>, <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span>” <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="detail">detail</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="criticized">criticized</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="raw">raw</span>, <span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="rude">rude</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="style">style</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="managing">managing</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="bet">bet</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="downsize">downsize</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lay">lay</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="costs">costs</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="feel">feel</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="may">may</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="of">of</span> 55 <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="go">go</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="career">career</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="company">company</span>. <span word="No">No</span>, <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="slash">slash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="burn">burn</span>” <span word="executive">executive</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tender">tender</span> <span word="details">details</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="bothered">bothered</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="fixes">fixes</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="line">line</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="sees">sees</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="else">else</span>, <span word="throwing">throwing</span> <span word="loyalty">loyalty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ethics">ethics</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="window">window</span>.</p>
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