Are war supporters leftish? That might be the case in the Ukrainian war

By Marta Koblanska, February 10, 18:00, Photo: MayaQ, Pixabay

Over-trusted governments may cheat their voters with social welfare redistribution while in fact keep silent on human costs on the battlefield outside ruling area.

Ukrainian war started after Russia attempted to invade the country what might have been planned for a very long time. The reasons of the move are in line with Russia’s interests, however the way of performance is highly questionable, moreover – unacceptable. Ukraine’s interests lay in contradiction to the past empire practices and although some of them could have changed, the core remained untouched. Here I briefly try to explain why.

Deceptive and real support

In recently published study ,,The effects of war on redistribution preferences” in ,,Journal of Public Economies”, scientists who conducted a survey among nearly 4 thousand of Russia-based respondents claim, the war supporters regardless human costs approve income redistribution to those in need at the same time trusting their leader. In the case of Russia the leader is Wladimir Putin. In opposition, people, who do not want to support war due to silence human costs substantially less trust the leader.

In Russia, it is unsurprising the people trust their leader and support him regardless of the final effect. That stance has a long history and is based on the nation’s experiences. However, if the results of the study are applicable in other regions in the world, it could all of us cost too much. Scientists of Yale hold, that their interpretation of the pool which, another words, stipulates increased demand for income redistribution comes along with higher trust in government among war supporters is justified. Why? Because, in general, war activates prosocial preferences. Of course among those who are not part of it.

Our treatments only affected attitudes toward specific policies that involve the state redistributing its limited resources,

say Alexei Zakharov of Jackson School of Global Affairs and Philipp Chapkovsky of Duisburg-Essen University emphasizing that attitudes toward the minimum wage – a redistributive policy that does not involve the government redistributing income – are not affected by the approach.

What’s interesting, as scientists claim, simultaneously the one who is in charge of national income redistribution is going to take into account in higher degree voices of perceived as an out-group. That’s may be major political trick universal elsewhere. However, in the case of Russia’s war against Ukraine when national identity plays crucial role that might be costly for the one who is sacrificing income and local welfare for the purpose of even not full military engagement.