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05/31/2006 Archived Entry: "Levi Strauss adds RFID to jeans"

NAIS ISN'T THE ONLY PROGRAM TO EXTEND TRACKING TO NEW LEVELS
Levi Strauss, the formerly great jean maker who supports anti-gun bigots has found another way to insult and antagonize their customers: Jeans that come with RFID spy chips.

Thanks to Claire, whose links from the NAIS post led me to this little tidbit.

Levi Strauss is a company that just doesn't learn. Gun owners caught the firm funding anti-gun organizations shortly before the year 2000. Since that time the company has closed all of its US factories, cutting some 5,600 jobs. A quick look at their SEC filings shows some interesting trends as well:

Assets fell from 3,156 million to 2,740 million, a loss of 13%.
Revenues fell from 1,149 million in 2000 to 960 million in 2006, a loss of 16%.
Gross profit fell from 488 million to 457 million, a loss of 6%.

While I can't prove that a gunowners' boycott was the primary cause of this decline, I know for a fact that not one dime of MY money has gone to Levi's in the past 6+ years.

It's hard to imagine how a firm that relies on consumer good will for its very existence would go out of its way to insult new and old customers alike with spychip technology. The beauty of the free market is consumers, voting with their wallets, will eventually put these pathetic morons out of business. They have already been replaced (in my own and millions of other closets) by other firms who make a higher-quality product, at a lower price, in no small part because they stick to the business of making pants, and don't go meddling in other people's private affairs.

RFID, NAIS, NSA spying, ultimately they all depend on the tacit consent of millions of people. The methods used to peacefully shut down moronic corporations and despotic governements are basically similar. I've had enough.

Posted by Silver @ 03:03 PM CST
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