General

Hummers a hit in Iraq

A symbol of security, normalcy and status

Not everyone is down on the struggling automaker G.M. It turns out there’s a burgeoning market for its Hummer brand and it’s in the unlikeliest of places: Iraq. Iraq, of course, has plenty of military Humvees on its streets, but the civilian version of the truck is fast becoming a symbol of security, normalcy and status. Even rising oil prices and a steep price tag haven’t put a damper on Iraq’s new found appreciation for the Hummer. But in a country where men are judged by their cars, the attraction to the big, American SUVs also has something to do with the what Iraqis call “hasad thukuri”, which roughly translated means “penis envy.”

The New York Times

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