Is Michael Jackson really dead?

The news of Jacko's death is truly sad. He was a musical genius and a true legend, as such he will be greatly missed. He leaves behind some genuinely great music and a legacy as one of the most amazing performers that ever lived. He has earned his place in the history books and deserves to be remembered for the awesome talent that he was.

That said, and with all respect to Jackson and his loved ones, i'm not entirely sure i believe he is really dead. Call me a conspiracy theorist but it all seems a bit suspicious. I've thought for a while that if anyone was going to fake their own death, Jacko would be the ideal candidate. Like a lot of people i was doubtful that he'd be able to pull off 50 nights at the O2, and i suspect he knew it himself. If he really was as ill as we have been led to believe he could surely never have thought that he could perform anywhere near the standard he used to in his heyday. I've personally been very skeptical about whether he'd even play one night for several months now.

The public persona of Michael Jackson aka Jacko aka The King of Pop was very much a character, none of us truly knew what he was really like. We only ever saw him as either the singer/dancer or the media figure. Did he really sleep in that glass tank? Was his best friend really a monkey? The Wacko Jacko image certainly added to his mystery and intrigue throughout the 80s and early 90s. It didn't do his career any harm at the time either. Of course as Wacko Jacko transformed into the troubled artist searching for his lost youth, it all started to go wrong. People will forever question whether or not the allegations about his involvement with kids were true. No-one really knows but everyone has an opinion on it. Whatever, Jackson has consistently remained a superstar and has never been out of the spotlight for long.

But what about the real man, what do we actually know about him? Very little, it seems. In my opinion, Jackson has always been a shrewd man, he wouldn't have been as successful as he was if he didn't know what he was doing. He's made some very smart business moves in his time, the sort that just don't fit with the Jacko we've seen in the media.

Faking his own death could be hugely profitable, it seems that there are going to be some considerable problems with refunds. I don't know the figures but i'm sure that a significant proportion of those 750,000 tickets have been traded through or by resellers and touts effectively voiding their warranty. Regardless, it appears that these refunds are the responsibility of the promoters and their insurance companies, not Jackson who no doubt received a large advance. Every radio station is playing his music which will earn his estate a vast sum in broadcast and publishing royalties. No doubt we will see a wave of best of albums, tributes and collectors box sets over the next few years, maybe even a Hollywood movie of his life. I wouldn't be surprised if the Michael Jackson estate re-acquires Neverland and turns it into a Jacko shrine which will inevitably attract thousands of paying visitors every day. It could be one of the greatest scams ever pulled.

He certainly went out well. Rather than fading as a broken man or fallen icon before ultimately passing away isolated and alone, Jackson's last days will be remembered as a genuine a-list star. The sort of superstar who can sell out 750,000 tickets for a residency in London. The star who pushed himself beyond his own limits because he wanted to put on the best show he could. He may not have actually performed but its easy now to remember what a great talent he really was, to remember him for his exceptional music. And that is exactly how we should, because it's the one thing we really do know about him.

If Michael Jackson, the man, is still alive then Jacko, the superstar is dead. We'll never hear from him again, he'll never record any more music, never appear infront of an audience again. If he is still alive maybe he really does just want to be left alone now, to grow old in peace. The only way he could ever achieve that would be to convince the world that he's dead. And surely, he deserves that right. Maybe its not a scam after all, maybe its Jacko's last word, his final exit, the only way he knew he could go out with any dignity.

A lot of people feel very sad today, and those grieving for the loss of their hero should grieve, this is the only way and the only time we can say goodbye to someone who has given so much pleasure to so many people, someone who has inspired and influenced many generations.

Regardless of anything i have suggested, this is the end of an era. My full respects go out to Jackson, his family, friends and fans. My apologies to anyone offended by my timing here, it truly is a sad day. Whether Jackson the man is alive or not, Jacko the superstar, the King of Pop passed away yesterday and he will be truly missed. May he rest in peace.

The legend may be dead but the legacy lives on.

Which truth to believe? Some thoughts on conspiracies

I dont wish to get into all the conspiracy theories here, that is a matter of debate in itself and, unfortunately, to many people the apparent absurdity of certain aspects of some theories can devalue the fundamental point about not believing everything we are told to believe. For the record there are a number of good videos on youtube or similar sites providing compelling evidence that the "government" has lied to us about a great number of things in order to slowly create an orwellian dystopian state. I personally dont believe everything i see, and am fully aware of the power of misinformation in EVERY aspect of the media, but it certainly is worth researching this subject, with a film called Zeitgeist - The Movie being an essential introduction to Conspiracies and some of the many lies perpetrated throughout history and even to this day.

The question still exists, is there really any truth in these theories?

Well, anybody who believes everything they are told in the media is obviously a fool, tabloid newspapers clearly have an agenda and motivation to lie/distort the truth. Surely this is common knowledge. But theres a difference between sensationalist headlines designed to sell papers and increase profits, and the sort of lies the governments are alleged to have spun for years/decades/centuries.

Is it really plausible that 9/11 was orchestrated by some highly influential families pulling the strings behind the US government? Surely the fact that an idiot like George W is "in charge" is suspect enough. Those attacks were clearly a good motivation for war and the gradual removal of a great number of our civil liberties. Inside job or not, 9/11 has been used to the governments advantage ever since. In the last decade we have been fed anti-Islamic propaganda on many levels while lately the public opinion of China's communist state has become a popular subject in the media, reminding us how lucky we are to have our own (ever-dwindling) freedoms. Is the timing of the olympics really a coincidence?

Religion, of course, is a major part of all good conspiracy theories, and for good reason. Alongside money (the other great evil of the world) religion is historically the most powerful tool ever conceived for controlling the masses. Religion has encouraged both love and hatred equally, forgiveness and intolerance are both huge factors in all the worlds great monotheistic religions. The contradictions are obvious. All based around the fundamental questions of what happens to us after we die and why we are even here in the first place. God's name is used to justify so many human actions both good and bad, which coupled with his alleged ultimate power over us for eternity means that for a significant proportion of the worlds population, the fear of disagreeing with God's word is so great that the only conceivable option is to comply. The fact that religion is "inherited" and thrust upon the impressionable minds of children makes the brainwashing even easier.

Regardless of whether there is any real truth in spiritualty of any sort, anyone with half a brain should be able to see the dangers of organised religion.

So do the government/illuminati/bankers really benefit from creating these lies and controlling us in this way? Well if they are lying, it seems to be working, the rich and powerful get richer and more powerful while the majority of us remain poor and apathetic. The mainstream media continue to shape our opinions of the world and the conspiracies remain underground and, suspiciously, censored or deleted where possible.

Somewhere between the extremes the real truth exists, it is only through an awareness of all the different viewpoints that we can begin to see it and make our own decisions and, if the time comes, we can be prepared for the worse.