Your encounters in the past have been questions of morality. The question before Rick and Co. is survival. There is no time or place for finely tuned moral conundra. That comes when the basics are covered and you have the luxury of reflection.
The answer to the question "What have we become?" is "Whatever we needed to become to survive." When we no longer need to be that, we can revert to a more civilized state.
It's not complicated.
What’s complicated is that once you revert to that state can you ever again become civilized?
Different situations don’t, or shouldn’t, change your morality. Why is your or my life worth more than anyone else’s? If for instance, someone has food and I’m starving. Does that mean I’m right for killing them and taking their food?
One thing that’s going to come with an Apocalyptic situation is deciding if life is worth living. And a whole lot of people are going to choose no. And not just because of pain and suffering, but for the loss of morality. Which again, is kind of what the show is about.
It’s always funny, sad really, that I have to point out to a lot of people, not you, but a lot. That this series is not about Zombies.
Whoa, that's heavy dude! And to think that I watch TWD simply because I love zombie stuff..........