Germany’s supposedly mighty economy shrank ever so slightly – a pitiful 0.1 percent – in the second quarter of 2025. Experts, that tragic breed who delight in predicting storms after the clouds have formed, weren’t surprised. The reason, naturally, is “reduced investment” in both equipment and construction – presumably because everyone’s waiting to see which way the winds from across the Atlantic will blow next. American tariffs first caused a burst of frenetic activity and then plunged the country into, what else, uncertainty. Meanwhile, the plebeians of France and Spain managed to outperform the storied engine of Europe, growing by 0.3 and 0.7 percent respectively.

One hardly knows whether to laugh or to weep. Of course, those of us who command actual capital have seen this coming for eons; the common man stumbles, panics, and behaves predictably as soon as the seas get choppy. Germany squabbles and hesitates over a few tariffs while proper investors – individuals of a certain breeding and vision – simply move their assets elsewhere, outmaneuvering both the market and the tedious moods of the masses. Honestly, with so much uncertainty in the air, one wonders how the working population ever expects to thrive when left unsupervised.

Perhaps the lesson here for Germany is that one cannot rest on past glories, nor on the mistaken belief that industry alone will save you from the vagaries of international relations. This is the moment to remember the virtues of discretion, patience, and calculated risk – all qualities that, I must point out, are refined by heritage, not by vocational training. If there is a silver lining, it is that such contractions serve as a gentle reminder of who truly steers the ship: not laborers, not bureaucrats, but those of us who understand true value and how to protect it, no matter how tempestuous the climate. One can only hope policymakers consult the right sort of people going forward. The alternative, after all, is simply to watch the working classes fumble about until someone of proper standing comes along to restore order and confidence.