Loteks

*"We attribute the social and psychological problems of modern society to the fact that that society requires people to live under conditions radically different from those under which the human race evolved and to behave in ways that conflict with the patterns of behavior that the human race developed while living under the earlier conditions.... Among the abnormal conditions present in modern industrial society are excessive density of population, isolation of man from nature, excessive rapidity of social change and the break-down of natural small-scale communities such as the extended family, the village or the tribe." (T. Kaczynski, 1995)*

LOTEx (Limit Our Technological Excesses) was an advocacy group formed in Seattle in 2006 under the corny yet memorable rallying cry, "LOTEx, not latex!" The initial impetus was provided by several Earth First!ers, who were old hands at this game, but the group became much more popular than it had anticipated, and membership soon consisted mainly of citizens who were simply concerned about what was becoming of the world during the Fall. With political influence came moderation, and the organization which now holds such a strong lobbying stance in the Northwest Alliance is no longer recognizable as the motley band of sandaled Neo-Luddites that it originated as, so long ago.

The radicals didn't just go away, of course, but continued their grassroots organizing. A few of them came to LATMA, where their sermons found a ready audience among the most impoverished Darks, those who experienced all the backlash and enjoyed none of the benefits of a technologically advanced society. Many of these have resettled in small isolated rural encampments, but there are others who, for whatever reason, try to live out their ideals amid the chaos of urban decay-- and to add to the deterioration, when possible. Knowing little and caring less about the history of the name, these "Loteks" are most prevalent in the Lynwood Containment Zone, where they are rumored to maintain a communal compound. They are most recognizable by the adornments they piece together from the detritus of shattered technology, as they take pride in rendering such things non-functional. They will not use guns as weapons - and will readily kill one of their own for doing so - but the bizarre handmade implements they devise for themselves have acquired a much more frightening
reputation than any pistol.

## History

There is little love lost between Loteks and Tru-Tribals. Loteks are one of the oldest and possibly the largest of the Lynwood tribes, despite the fervent commitment to a life unaided by technology that the tribe requires of all its members. Unlike many other groups in Lynwood, the Loteks actually permit members of the group to drop out, if they lack the zeal to pursue an completely 'pure' existence. This is not an uncontested view: such ex-Loteks often end up dead of 'natural' causes (so the joke goes.) But many can and do leave the tribe, unmolested. It is speculated that the Lotek elders permit this because they perceive that along with such drop-outs the Lotek ideals will begin to spread, however diluted, and filter out into other layers of society. Lately, it's started to look like they might be right. New tribes have begun to form, such as the Grangers, who espouse a "Mid-tek" ideology.

The youngest of these Lotek dropouts tend to migrate to Tru-Tribal gangs, many of whom adopt a neo-primitive lifestyle which incorporates aspects of the Lotek philosophy. Superficially, this might make it look like Loteks and Trues would be perfect allies, since they have so much in common. Actually, however, there is quite a bit of rivalry and rancor. The younger Loteks resent the Trues' lack of revolutionary zeal and ideological purity... it seems to them as though all that the Tru-Tribals are interested in is taking scalps and painting their faces, instead of changing the world. They sometimes refer to Tru-Tribals as "Tekteks", scornful of their compromising stance on technology. Trues are infuriated by the nickname, especially because of its implication that they "don't have what it takes" to be a genuine Lotek. The fact that this comes so close to the truth for many of them makes the insult doubly rankling. Consequently, although the two sides fall short of engaging in an all-out war, little skirmishes and disputes are common. When both the groups face a common threat, they never hesitate to fight side by side against it, but no sooner is the threat eliminated then they fall to pinching and bickering like jealous siblings again.