Monstrous, stupid and warlike (it is, after all, an Army vehicle in drag) the Hummer may be the perfect metaphor for the Bush Presidency.

It appeals to the rich and powerful, it eagerly shoulders the little guys out of its way and it thrives on scarce fuel, which is drinks up like a sponge.

Yet it never feels embarrassed or shy or apologetic about its mendacity. It hurtles ahead as if nothing has changed on the road outside its tinted windows, where an unseen driver sits chomping on an expensive cigar, high above everyone else on the highway — except the truckers — who themselves represent the one group that is truly in control of our nation; massive 18-wheel, 20-ton businesses.

But the Hummer Days are nearly over. With their precious Market in a free fall of their own making, with the David and Goliath threat of Iranian dingys felling the US Navy at Big Oil’s biggest choke point, with recession (at the very least) now a sure bet, and with war a permanent condition, it’s likely that America’s biggest, most insane road hog will be parked, put up on blocks and left to rot. Good riddance.