Do you remember the other parts too? The parts that don't feel so warm and fuzzy?

I don't recall ever mentioning anything fuzzy or warm; It's simply a pragmatic matter of taking the human factor into account. You simply try to fight and destroy as little as possible because it's expensive, risky, and creates ill will in the long tern. Napoleon and the armies of the Spanish Empire are excellent examples of how to win every battle, piss everyone off, and never win the peace.

Of course, if you do need to crush, kill, destroy, do it quickly and decisively, with no hesitation or pussyfooting. Therein lies the difference between being respectably compassionate, and being a sentimental fool begging to be abused.

The Art of War isn't just about winning battles or wars, it's about winning the peace that comes afterwards; it's not just about beating your foe, but about getting them to stay beaten, and, in fact, help you out.

And, in particular, Scorched Earth tactics are extremely costly, and they are only effective in very specific circumstances.

As for the Bible examples cited there, I do not see how they are practical in any way, shape, or form. I can see the point of some of the other examples, but most of them are about helping out or standing up for someone who has been reduced to complete harmlessness and can't be a threat anymore. This is most egregious when the defeated enemy in question is a freaking corpse.