Do you want Germany to raise military expenses?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What would Germany itself and not merely the United States (for whom it would only be a minor bonus) see as the benefit or necessity? What can't Germany achieve without a larger army, and what would it have to give up to get it?

Clearly, there is no benefit to Germany.

That's the problem.

Nonetheless one can argue that Germany is benefiting economically from having its defence subsidised by the US, the UK and its poorer eastern neighbours. This would only be a political issue if the economies of the other countries were doing as well as Germany, but they aren't. The problem is compounded by the fact that Germany holds economic sway over the EU by dint of its powerful economy, which is unburdened by the sort of military-industrial-complex a country of its size actually needs to defend itself.