If the populace was anything other than sheep, we wouldn't be having this discussion, as they're be performing the Guardianship themselves and teaching those behind them to take over. The only ones learning that are the politicians.
I wouldn't say that we're sheep, or herd-animals of any type. Humans are more like a wolf-pack...a co-operative collective.
A herd mentality lives and thrives by multiplying faster than they are killed off, allowing both the strongest and the weakest to be preyed upon. The weakest fall behind, as do the injured and are taken out. The innovators and the defenders are also taken out, either in the defense of the herd or in trying to lead the herd where the majority refuse to follow. Both types get separated from the herd and are lost. Anything that makes a member of the herd stand out (positive or negative) brings the prey down upon their head.
In a pack mentality, anything that helps the pack is supported, whether that's coming to the defense of the pack, or finding more food, protecting the future generation or breeding stronger members. There's a hierarchy, but it's malleable. Anything that threatens any member of the pack, threatens the whole pack....and it's the pack that's more important than individual members thereof.
We protect our children because they're going to replace us, and it's in our best interest to teach them to make them stronger than us. We strive to improve our personal lot and the lot of the whole population because we understand that our future is only as strong as the weakest link.
We push our weakest members to get stronger, and it's in our best interest to help them get stronger. Humans do this by denigrating the weak...trying to embarrass them into doing better. We complain about Welfare, for instance. Pushing them 'for their own good' and for our own. Call people weak, lazy etc... We do this, not to harm them, but to make them stronger. We WANT them to succeed. We WANT them to be contributing members of our pack. We NEED them to be.
As such, we are morally obligated to help the 'less fortunate', because we are helping our pack (human beings) and thus, helping ourselves as individuals. We survive and thrive when we ALL work together.