A friend required surgery recently for a lump in her breast. She got into the operating room within a week. Someone else got bumped. The surgeon shrugged: “In these circumstances, a facelift doesn’t take priority.”
My friend benefitted from a process called “triage.” Basically, it’s a system for making difficult choices. And it applies to many situations beyond medical. Even to the future of the United Nations.
In its original battlefield context, triage meant dividing injured victims into three groups:
· Those likely to recover, regardless of medical attention
· Those for whom immediate care will make a positive difference
· Those unlikely to live, regardless of what doctors can do; devoting energy to them might mean denying care to someone else who could benefit more.
I’ve been on the receiving end of triage several times. I recall spending an agonized five hours in an emergency room, sweating with pain, while more urgent cases got priority. I’ve also been rushed through, while people with headaches and hangnails glared at me for jumping the line.
Making difficult decisions
I have never had to do the kind of medical triage that faces paramedics every day. But I have applied triage to some people’s precious “babies” – no, not their infants, but manuscripts into which they had invested their heart and soul.
Some manuscripts needed only minor polishing to be publishable.
Some manuscripts had a good idea, or good writing, or thorough research – but not all three. They needed tender care. (As did their authors, sometimes.) As an editor, I provided anything from amputations to verbal transplants.
And some manuscripts were hopeless; their writing, their research, their very concept, beyond resuscitation. Unfortunately, I didn’t always recognize those deficiencies. I hated giving up on manuscripts that still showed a spark of life – just as I’m sure doctors hate giving up on terminally ill patients. And so, at times, I threw time and energy into projects that should have been abandoned.
Other contexts
Now that I’m formally retired from editing, I wonder sometimes how triage principles might apply in other areas of life.
The advice columns in my newspaper, for example. Over and over, people cling to hopeless relationships. Triage would ask, can this relationship survive? If not, does the effort you’re putting into it imperil other relationships?
Or international trade negotiations. U.S. President Trump apparently considers the North American Free Trade Agreement a hopeless case, deserving only palliative care. His negotiators, on the other hand, seem to think NAFTA can be saved, with the right treatment. Nobody thinks it will survive as is.
Doesn’t that sound like triage?
The United Nations
Triage categories help me sort out my reactions to Trump’s attacks on the United Nations. Before his address to the UN General Assembly, he had denounced the UN as weak and incompetent (“hopeless,” in triage terms). While its agencies do laudable work, the UN as a whole seems unable to deal effectively with rogue nations, international terrorism, and corporate exploitation.
Later, speaking to the Assembly, Trump demanded reform. (Unfortunately, in his own image.) That would imply that the UN can be saved, given the right treatment.
The lack of applause for Trump’s speech suggests that most delegates don’t agree. In triage terms, they believe it will survive – perhaps even thrive – without steroids or surgery.
Looking at the triage options, I contend that the UN is worth saving. It, and the League of Nations that preceded it, mark the first time in history that numbers of nations have agreed to resolve conflicts by talking to each other, instead of resorting to armed might.
As a quote commonly attributed to Winston Churchill says, “Jaw-jaw is better than war-war.”
I see a parallel with the biblical injunction: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Literalists use these verses to justify revenge -- including capital punishment, “a life for a life.”
In reality, the formula restricted revenge: “only an eye… only a tooth….” It replaced the previous standard -- if you hurt me, I’ll hurt you a lot more!
The Bible records several instances of families, clans, tribes, even nations, being wiped out to avenge a wrong.
But “an eye for an eye” was itself only an interim step; the later New Testament rejected revenge entirely.
In the same way, I see the UN as a step toward a more effective international body. The institution may be limping, but it’s worth helping back onto its feet -- if we’re willing to devote the necessary resources toward its healing and recovery.
Triage tells me it’s possible.
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Copyright © 2017 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups encouraged; links from other blogs welcomed; all other rights reserved.
To send comments, to subscribe, or to unsubscribe, write jimt@quixotic.ca
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YOUR TURN
Last week’s column, about voting processes, produced some interesting letters.
Ted Wilson had two thoughts:
Our system isn’t broke, in fact it’s one of the best in the world. It just needs some improvements. Don’t overdo it or we’ll end up going backwards.
I don’t think anything will change if it threatens to have a negative impact on the party in power.
George Brigham agreed with me, to a point: “I very much prefer preferential voting, or STV (single transferable vote) as it tends to be called over here. However, if the choice offered was between proportional representation and first-past-the-post, then I’d vote for proportional. First-past-the-post only works fairly if there are just two candidates.
“However, I doubt if I’ll be given the choice in my remaining years. We did have a referendum on the matter a about 5 years ago with PR offered as the alternative. Some may have voted to keep the old system for your reasons, but I suspect most did because politicians campaigned vigorously to keep the present system (i.e. keep seats they might lose under any fair system).”
Bob Rollwagen wrote, “Politics is a complicated process that requires strong leadership at all levels. We have witnessed instances in the recent past where poor leadership has led to unsettling times that should have been anticipated. Yes, the voter was heard, but unfortunately, voters never know when a special interest group or lobby structure jumps in causing unexpected results.
“Should we require every citizen to vote? This is not a perfect solution; Australia uses it and have their own issues. I think we should require everyone to attend at the polls and provide an ‘abstention’ option.
“I think that once we have 75 to 80 percent involvement, we can start talking about a different system. Knowledge, education and political awareness should proceed any move to alter something that has brought us this far, so well.”
Tom Watson noted my comment about FPTP being like winning with a pair of eights: “Jim, there's no point in deciding what cards to play until you've been dealt your full hand!”
Two letters followed up on other letters.
Fran Ota wrote, “In 1966 when Harold Kushner's son was diagnosed with progeria, all that was known was that it occurs in about one in seven million, and is diagnosed generally within the first two years of life. However, it's now known that progeria, or rapid aging, is a genetic disorder.....but not transmitted within families. It is a new genetic mutation at the time of conception, and is one of a group of disorders. There are now treatments, which can delay the aging, but so far no cure. So it really is random.”
Frank Martens responded to my comments on his letter: “Are you suggesting that the brilliant Jews and their God have an archaic view of the original their monotheistic God? Or that the Muslim God should no longer be the one of Mohammad’s creation? What was it that Shalmo Sand said in his book? ‘God did not create man; man created God.’
“You cannot suddenly change the concept of God that billions of people have believed in to suit yourself. Either there is the God of the Bible or there isn’t.”
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TECHNICAL STUFF
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PROMOTION STUFF…
Ralph Milton ’s latest project is called “Sing Hallelujah” -- the world’s first video hymnal. It consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at www.singhallelujah.ca
Ralph’s HymnSight webpage is still up, http://www.hymnsight.ca, with a vast gallery of photos you can use to enhance the appearance of the visual images you project for liturgical use (prayers, responses, hymn verses, etc.)
Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://www.churchwebcanada.ca>
I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, www.traditionaliconoclast.com
Alva Wood’s satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town -- not particularly religious, but fun; alvawood@gmail.com to get onto her mailing list.
Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatso@gmail.com or twatson@sentex.net