StuporTrooper

I would say that the magic pretty firmly falls in the magic realism category. As in, it doesn't matter if it's "real" or not because it's presented as real and the characters interpret it that way. Or I'm still misunderstanding magical realism.

Consider that their environment, I'm assuming you're from :amerikkka: or at least the west, has drilled into them since childhood that rugged individualism is what's morally correct. The concept of the superstructure and the base, that the superstructure is the combination of education/media/culture that drives into people repeatedly the message that competition is good and on a subtler level might makes right. The culture which valorizes success as material wealth and demonizes poverty is what leads people to be selfish and uncooperative. It is the sense of compassion and cooperation which has been killed by society and the elite have worked very hard to make it this way.

Cooperation for mutual benefit is human nature 😈