“I’ll rise and fall, let me take credit for both.”

That’s a lyric from Pearl Jam’s Satan’s Bed. What’s it mean? Songs are personal. The listener can decide.

Why do we think of it today? The two sides of the proverbial economic coin come to mind.

This morning’s headlines are blaring about Japan falling into recession. Does anyone know what it means? Does anyone care?

We should. After all it was a scant couple of years ago that Greece fell into recession and threatened to tear apart the Euro. You know, that economy that represents a scant 2% of Eurozone GDP. That same 2% that you’d laugh off if the weather forecast called for 2% rain.

Yet when Big Media fired up the scare tactic machine and told us the world would be ending because of Greece we went into full panic mode. “Sell everything. Pull the covers over our eyes. Let us know when they ring the bell that it’s safe to invest again.”

A bit over the top? Sure. Did some people have this mindset? Sadly yes.

So where are these people today? Why are they not buying en masse given Greece has emerged from its recession?

If panic selling made sense then it’s only fair that euphoric buying does as well. After all, “I’ll rise and fall, let me take credit for both.”

If it all sounds a bit silly then it should. Keep this in mind when emotion tries to overtake logic and you try to make long-term decisions based upon short-term, Big Media-driven “news” items.

Happy Monday!