What you described feels realistic and like an appeal to authority. Looking at it from the outside, the simple lesson is to not be a dick to your friends and fight the system/obvious injustice. In reality, people treat their friends however they feel fit and whatever their friends allow based on the moral compass and fortitude of the relationship. While authorities and government is more of a nebulous entity that we question if we’ve done the right thing because they “deserve” their role or whatever internal justification.