Why do poor countries spend so much money on their military?

The fact that they are poor does not mean that they do not want their indepentance. It is like asking why would a person with a low salary prefer to stay out of jail instead of get inprisoned. read more

Spending on the military instead of on useful things keeps you poor. The countries that spend on their military (Greece, Turkey, Russia) stay poor, while the countries that don't (switzerland, austria, etc.) become rich. read more

Territorial disputes, combined with high spending, as Perlo-Freeman explained, have induced countries to expand the size of their military expenditures. Japan, for example, increased its military budget for the first time in 10 years due to recent territorial disputes with China. read more

Because it acts as a global policeman or globocop. Now before you get down pointing out about the lack of involvement in the Rwandan Genocide or the unholy involvement in Iraq I will say that it is more the actions of a country that is trying to defend its own interests and those of its closest allies - it just happens that those interests need general peace. read more