Exactly what you'd expect when an entire society builds itself on that kind of ideal. [Keith doesn't know how they got from pastries to this, but it's hard to keep himself from thinking about it—from knowing about how the Galra hadn't been so different from him. He was nothing, left to only look out for himself. Without Shiro, he would have remained nothing. He hadn't even hit puberty yet and his teachers were already giving up on him.

Of course, he had given them a reason to.

... Of course, he'd given Shiro a reason to, too.]

Everyone's out for themselves. No one has any real connections or bonds. Even the people trying to fight that are hesitant to make a move, because while they're willing to risk their lives, there aren't enough to really fight back if too many die in an operation. [It's why they had to unite so carefully against Zarkon.]

I used to be that way, too. I thought I had a good reason. Turns out I hadn't.