We're all worth it, Fox 3! I very much agree with your point about a good air force, although you picked a bad example to illustrate it since Saddam did spend a lot training, much of it in this country on very experienced ex RAF instructors. And no matter what he'd spent would it have affected the final issue?
The posts on 300 hr instructors are wide of the mark. If you book a trial flight or to lesser extent PPL this may be so but not on a commercial course.
I accept the point that some of these figures compare apples with pears. But that's sort of the point of the thread; allowing bean-counters to lump a load of other peoples costs onto your budget is a high risk strategy!