@SpireJim Perhaps it would be fair to examine what's contained in the HEC course. It may just be an A-Level retake. The structure of the course may help some A-level under performers excel.
Germany’s €500 billion defense splurge is a textbook case of too little, too late—and a monument to its own stubborn arrogance. Had Berlin simply played ball with the Trump administration and stuck to close cooperation with the Americans, this frantic, budget-busting rearmament wouldn’t even be necessary. Trump spent years hammering NATO allies to hit 2% of GDP on defense, later pushing for 3%, and offered a protective umbrella in return. Germany could’ve stayed under that shield, steadily building up its forces within a reasonable budget—no need for this absurd, trillion-euro panic move. A sensible partnership with Trump’s America would’ve kept costs down and threats at bay. Instead, Germany’s leaders sneered, and now they’re scrambling to reinvent the wheel at a premium.
But here’s the kicker: €500 billion won’t even cut it. Look at the numbers—€15-20 million per Leopard 2 tank, €100 million per F-35 jet, €1 billion per Fregatte 126. Say Germany buys 100 tanks, 100 jets, and 5 ships—that’s €25-30 billion gone, a fraction of the pot, and it doesn’t touch training, munitions, or infrastructure. Delivery times? Five to ten years for each system, if not longer. By the time those shiny toys arrive, rust will be the least of Germany’s worries. Philosophically, this is a drop in the bucket—a half-hearted gesture to paper over decades of neglect. Against Russia’s battle-hardened forces, the Bundeswehr wouldn’t stand a chance; €500 billion doesn’t erase the gap. Moscow could roll over Germany tomorrow if it wanted, and no emergency cash dump changes that.
To catch up to Russia or the U.S. in quality and scale, Germany would need €500 billion every year for a decade—€5 trillion total. That’s the brutal truth. This one-shot €500 billion isn’t a fix; it’s a mirage. It’s voter fraud dressed up as resolve—pure waste that’ll leave Germany with a half-baked army, still incapable of defending itself. Merz and his crew are peddling a fantasy, banking on big numbers to mask their failure. Trump’s way—steady spending, strong alliances—would’ve been smarter and cheaper. Instead, Germany’s stuck with a philosophical flop: loud promises, weak results.