Alexander posed a question to the group that Neustadt and May thought so apt that, they say, if policymakers routinely asked an “Alexander’s question,” historic blunders, as well as commonplace blunders, might be avoided. Alexander’s question was brilliantly simple. He asked what information might make the group change its mind about the need to prepare to immunize the nation against swine flu? Would it be evidence that every swine flu case was mild? Or that no one but the Fort Dix soldiers got the swine flu? Would it make a difference what the timing of the outbreaks was or where they
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