The author reflects on the increasing occurrence of government shutdowns and long airport lines, as a sign that such incidents are becoming more frequent in the US. This follows a 43-day government shutdown in October last year and a partial shutdown earlier this year due to Affordable Care Act subsidies. Another partial shutdown has lasted over a month and resulted in about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay, many of whom have taken second jobs, and over 300 have quit. The author points out that Congress remains in a stalemate over DHS funding, with both parties blaming each other and using similar language to do so. Despite this, the author suggests that the American government is becoming more unpredictable and unreliable.