I was musing over my morning coffee about something that comes into my mind occasionally, that idea of Warp and Weft from KSR's Years of Rice and Salt.
the warp would be street gangs. every male in a neighborhood would be a gangster. that doesn't mean he terrorizes his or surrounding neighborhoods, raping and pillaging; it just means he takes responsibility for his tribe, arms himself and trains, not just in fighting but things like first aid, radio communication, and local wild food sources. of course women could also take on this role, but it maybe wouldn't be expected of them.
as an example, I could be of the La Cresta Ridge gang, which would be delimited by the stretch of Hill Blvd from English Street to La Cresta, and then everything up the hill. we'd share the open space with the other neighboring gangs, perhaps with some low-level fighting for dominance to make sure we'd get the pick of the deer that roam the ridge and ravine. we'd patrol as our families gather plums and blackberries.
the weft, as I may have mentioned before, is a network of clans based on interest or ability. for example, I would align myself with the technician, programmer, kinetic sculpture racing, and kayaking clans. clan membership is what facilitates travel between areas, keeps warfare between tribes (gangs) at a low level, and just helps to tie things together into a mostly peaceful quilt across large areas.
the idea needs to be fleshed out a lot more. perhaps I should write some short stories illustrative of the concept.
last updated 2018-12-16 11:13:12. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com