Jacko: When Does Smoke Equal Fire?

At what point – or perhaps the question is, IS there a point at which all this smoke indicates the presence of an underlying fire which must be actually extinguished rather than simply contained? Can all of this really be the result of parasites, gold diggers, and misunderstandings?

I find it very disturbing that Jackson has been functioning in essentially the same manner since at least 1990, and his money, fame, and paid army of apologizers, functionaries and sycophants have done all they can to shield the source of all this smoke, smoke that somehow keeps wafting into the nose of the public despite their best efforts.

Just in the last week, the judge in his molestation and conspiracy case has denied a reduction in bail because he finds credible the detailed evidence that Jackson tried to force his accuser and his family out of the country against their will, and an investigative panel has found Jackson’s accusations of mistreatment at the hands of his arresters to be utterly without foundation: ie, he is, once again, a liar.

The latest in this seemingly endless, tawdry, sickening saga is this:

The singer said that “years ago” he had paid “certain people” who “wanted to exploit my concern for children”.

He made the statement hours before a US report was due to claim Mr Jackson paid $2m (£1.1m) to an employee’s son to avoid a child molestation accusation.

Mr Jackson said he wanted to respond to “untruths and sensationalism”.

“Years ago, I settled with certain individuals because I was concerned about my family and the media scrutiny that would have ensued if I fought the matter in court,” he said.

“These people wanted to exploit my concern for children by threatening to destroy what I believe in and what I do.

“I have been a vulnerable target for those who want money.”

The 46-year-old singer added: “I would never harm a child.”

The Dateline NBC report claimed that Jackson paid $2m (£1.1m) to the son of an employee at his Neverland Ranch in 1990 to avoid an accusation of child molestation.

Former Santa Barbara county sheriff Jim Thomas said police learned of the 1990 case while investigating a separate 1993 case, the details of which were recently made public.

In the 1993 case Jackson agreed to pay a boy he was accused of molesting up to $20m (£11m). [BBC]

Whatever the original, even pitiable sources of Jackson’s problems may be, the harm he has apparently done to others – children – eradicates any sympathy we should have for his twisted psyche.