I'm Reminded of Dayenu

TJIC's discussion of events in Iraq:

Defeat the Baathists? Check.

Find, try, and hang Hussein? Check.

Shut down Iraq as a rogue nation with WMD capabilities? Check.

Lure Al Quaida forces to Iraq, and defeat them? Check.

Discredit Al Quaida through the region? Check.

Scare Quadaffi into coming in from the cold? Check.

Do it all while experiencing effectively zero combat losses? Check.

Achieve Friedman-defined “formal political reconciliation” ? Uh…I dunno…maybe? What does that even mean?

QUAGMIRE ! QUAGMIRE ! FAIL ! FAIL !

reminds me of the Passover hymn Dayenu:

How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us:

If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their firstborn--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had smitten their firstborn, and had not given us their wealth--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for 40 years--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for 40 years, and had not fed us the manna--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash)--Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

Come to think of it, a unified kingdom with a Temple lasted only one generation so I suppose a “formal political reconciliation” wasn't exactly achieved.