system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 - some countries have profoundly benefited from limiting or eliminating their military spending. The US spends more on the military than any other economy. Why has it continued to do so well economically for so long?

Costa Rica decided to stop military spending after WWII (it isn't that simple, but we are five year olds here).  As a result of investing in education, health care, and basic infrastructure, they have become much better off economically than their neighbours. 

Germany had to limit military spending after WWII and has done well economically as a result.  Japan has a similar story.  

The US is the strongest economy but behaves in a way that is opposite to the above examples. You can cite imperialism, in which one spends to overpower and seize resources, but this must have its limits.
gpt
It's not that we do better because of our military, its that our economy is so robust that it can  support a military the size of ours. 

The reason other countries have smaller military spending (post WW2 Germany and Japan for example) is because of "pax americana." US military might subsidizes the defense of all of our allies so they can spend less and still be protected through allying themselves with the US.   

There are some fringe benefits - engineering and science advacements through military spending, but the big benefit is that the world is incredibly stable thanks to the US subsidizing the defense of the world through its military spending and projection of power.