What is going on?

So, I thought this whole bailout deal was supposed to fix our economy, not cause it to tank along with most of the other major economies around the world. Wall Street is in extreme panic, and so are all the other markets around the world. The R word (recession) is being thrown around again. What are we ever to do?

This has been an interesting, fun, and yet difficult year for me. I'm finally at SJSU, where I've been planning to go since I was 16 (I'll be 25 in February). I've got a wonderful girlfriend who I adore. But the difficult part of this year for me has been with jobs. I have quit a job, and been fired for no reason from another. My latest job is serving at a restaurant. Our sales are down about three to five percent from last year, and now the managers are talking about cutting those who are underperforming in their sales. Unfortunately, I fall under that category. I'm right near the bottom, but am trying to work my way up the ranks. It's frustrating when people are trying to hold on to their money by ordering water, no appetizers or salads, one of the cheapest items on the menu, and no dessert. My price per guest average is about the second worst in the restaurant. But with the economy slowing down, shouldn't we all be granted a bit of a reprieve? We should take into mind the economic situation in the country before we consider firing people for underperforming. I'd say that most of the restaurant is underneath the set performance goals. I do realize that I need to step things up, and am in the process of doing so. I just can't face being unemployed yet again. With the way the market is going, I don't know what I would do or find to survive. All I know is that the world is really starting to scare and overwhelm me, and it needs to stop.