"We live in the greatest country in the world," tweets Vice President JD Vance. "When disaster strikes, Americans ought to expect more out of their federal government."
We live in the greatest country in the world. When disaster strikes, Americans ought to expect more out of their federal government.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 26, 2025
Tomorrow, I'll return to Damascus, VA to check on their cleanup from Hurricane Helene and we'll continue to do so until they've fully recovered. pic.twitter.com/qyf0HTuPEV
A brilliantly designed system of government can fail when those entrusted to run it engage in corrupt practices and thereby corrupt it.
Executive federal government agencies exist to carry out the lawfully prescribed activities that flow from the Constitution and Congress. President Donald Trump is the chief executive. To him report the top officers of the cabinet-level departments. One of those cabinet-level departments is the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission, as found on its website, is, "To secure the nation from the many threats we face." That department's top officer, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. Under the Department of Homeland Security is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Its mission, as found on its website, is, "Helping people before, during and after disasters."
Problems arise when executive agencies abandon their lawfully prescribed missional parameters or fail to honor them at all. It could be that an agency is not properly maintaining itself in a time of non-need to meet needs when they arise. It could be that departmental underlings are not following departmental leadership. It could be that how a department is managing its funds gets called into question. Those are hypotheticals related to how federal government agencies can get caught short at a time when they are needed.
Key in Vice President Vance's tweet is the phrase "when disaster strikes." It could be said that Americans should expect a government that does its job, at all times. It is a fine line, though. While Americans should expect a government that does its job, particularly in a time of need, Americans should not expect a government that does everything for them. And even in a time of need, there is only so much government can do. That is why it is incumbent upon the private sector, particularly corporate interests that offer goods and services related to the need at hand or businesses that are well-off enough to contribute monetarily, to fill the holes that the federal government cannot reach.
Leaders are put in positions of leadership for reasons. We hear about the necessity of following orders in the military. In the corporate world, bosses lay out agendas for employees to follow. In a household, a parent guides what and how a child does. When government agencies go rogue and are allowed to go rogue, problems arise in the ability of those departments to carry out their prescribed functions.
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