If virtually everyone is expecting a recession, and most people start acting accordingly, do you think that will make an economic downturn less likely or more likely?  Needless to say, the answer to that question is obvious.  Right now, banks all over the country are getting really tight with their money, large corporations are laying off workers at a frightening pace, and consumers are cutting back on their spending.  In other words, it really is starting to look a lot like a recession out there, and economic conditions are only going to get even more harsh in the months ahead.

I know that this is not good news.  Things are already far from great, and one recent survey found that 70 percent of all Americans are "feeling financially stressed"…