It is best to discount that aspect of “the plan”, as inconsequential.
Friedman would fail Business 101. Planners KNOW that nothing can be said for sure. But the planning process is essential, in which you take into account many scenarios. Dwight D. Eisenhower: "It's not the plan that's important, it's the planning [process]." There must be detailed discussion and attempts to make the plan as flexible as possible, in order to cope with whatever situations come up.
I guess Friedman typifies the drive-by media's "thought-processes" - wait for a catastrophe and then have the discussion of what we "might have done" - like with the VT killer or 9/11. That way we know "for sure" what might happen.
Well, let's hope Pinchie is on the same page - the NYTimes will go bankrupt that much sooner.
The MSM and the libs are both in the “hindsight all the time” mode.
But, they only do it with a narrow focus,....just like with the 9/11 Commission.
They actually came out and said that they were only going to go back “so far”...IOW, they narrowed their own focus, to have their hindsight fit their agenda.