Any economic downturn can be quite terrible, regardless of whether it affects a single individual, a segment of society, one nation or the entire world.

How each individual, community and the nation’s institutional and political leaders deal with any difficult economic situation reflects the personal values of each citizen as well as the core values and true political character of each of that nation’s leaders.

How does this apply to our current situation?

Whether we are already in, are about to enter — while trying to avoid — an economic depression; or, are in — and may sink further into — severe economic recession, one thing is certain: The fear being stoked, perhaps the more accurate word is “stimulated,” by many political, media and economic actors is central to the increasingly transparent effort to change the United States into something never intended by the founders.

The effort under way is concerted, and it’s gaining momentum. It is no longer a stretch to think and express concern that what is being foisted on the American people — left unchecked — will ultimately change the USA into something very, very different.

Some have described their view of where we are headed by using acronyms, such as USSA (United Socialist States of America), or another variant. Regardless, the implication is clear and troubling.

Of course, changing the name of our country is not an essential part in any concerted plan to change everything else. All that is necessary to further undermine the United States is to continue the pernicious lean-to-the-left, or “port” turn, in American economic policies and practices.

Just as any sailor, worth his sea legs understands that confusing left and right could cause a ship wreck, every freedom-loving citizen should understand and contemplate the ramifications of what is under way within the good old USA now that we can discern the sharp turn to port undertaken by political and institutional officials.

How has this been orchestrated? All of the rudder changes to port aboard our ship of state have been served up to citizens as salvation solutions to our economic woes. While the solutions are not realistic, there are other realities to note.

The economic reality that growing numbers of individuals have lost jobs, assets and have seen asset values decline as well as the political reality that many more individuals are increasingly worried about losing their job, house and savings is empathetically understandable.

Those realities provided an opening for political office-holders and office-seekers who, along with their minions in the mainstream media, dutifully did their part to help fill it with a continuous cacophony of worry messages, designed to stoke people’s fears and prepare the public for the socialized “stimulus” solutions designed and packaged by political soothsayers.

Unfortunately, the simulated solutions already foisted on Americans as well as those now being crafted contain very little real free-market content.

In fact, after an objective review of the long list of administration projects and programs, in search of real and substantive nutrition to aid our ailing economy, one recalls Walter Mondale’s plaintive call to Gary Hart during their 1984 primary debate, “Where’s the beef?”

Some might counsel “what did you expect” of this turn to port? If that includes you, I accept the point.

Perhaps, another apt description of the wasteful package of pork being foisted on America’s citizens as economic stimulus is the one used to describe the old “Jerry Seinfeld” TV show: “It’s about nothing.”

Richard Olivastro is a member of the National Speakers Association and president of Olivastro Communications.