Gunmen waving their weapons out the windows of unmarked cars are the most distinct sign of what’s it’s like to live in a political limbo. Four months after the Iraqis went to the polls and elected a parliament, political bickering has stalled progress in the formation of a government.

There are other hints too: The squatters who have taken over an old air force building. The armed, illegal vendors who have staked out claims to sidewalks. The prospect of another hot summer with no new power plants to drive air conditioners.