Having agreed to increase their military spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the European states have created a series of problems for themselves. The first problem is that they would have to invent the money out of their tight budgets. To raise their military expenditure to 5% of GDP would require them to reduce their social spending – in other words, to deepen the austerity policies that are already in place.
The author wrote that Germany has pledged 650 billion to the military over the next five years.
That’s roughly 3% of GDP per year.
The author then claims that Germany will have to raise an additional 155 billion per year to meet 5%.
155 billion is 3.5% of Germany’s GDP.
??? The author is either misinformed, or being willfully misleading.
My earlier point was that the infrastructure portion (1.5%) of the new 5% is for things ranging from roads and bridges to power stations in addition to actual military facilities like barracks, etc. Germany is certainly spending money on these infrastructure items already each year. Implying (or outright lying) that this would come from social welfare cuts is also wrong.
The author wrote that Germany has pledged 650 billion to the military over the next five years.
That’s roughly 3% of GDP per year.
The author then claims that Germany will have to raise an additional 155 billion per year to meet 5%.
155 billion is 3.5% of Germany’s GDP.
??? The author is either misinformed, or being willfully misleading.
My earlier point was that the infrastructure portion (1.5%) of the new 5% is for things ranging from roads and bridges to power stations in addition to actual military facilities like barracks, etc. Germany is certainly spending money on these infrastructure items already each year. Implying (or outright lying) that this would come from social welfare cuts is also wrong.