Jacko is Living in Bahrain, Why?

First off, I guess I am something of an expert on the island-state of Bahrain. It is like our Las Vegas. Bacon, beer and babes. Still, I have a question.

If Michael Jackson finally wised up and decided to move to a country that would turn a blind eye to his extracurricular activities, why Bahrain? He would be at the mercy of the next Emir (oops, he proclaimed himself a king a couple of years ago). He is exposed to a terrorism threat.

I would have bet on Brazil. There he would have constitutional protection as they cannot extradite a man who fathers a Brazilian child. (How hard could that be to arrange? Amazing what they can do with Pyrex nowadays.)

So why Bahrain? If you were in his shoes, where would you go?

He is there because he was invited:

I was expecting him to move to Thailand, or one of those places around there where they have child prostitution. The Middle East is pretty much the last place I would have expected him to go.

And thereby hangs a tale, I bet.

The best thing for Jackson to do would probably involve get away from his creepy home and staying away from anyplace weird. Go to France, lots of celebs do that. But Bahrain? A little too odd. If most people can’t find it on a map, he should probably stay away from it.

To what purpose? Do you really think anyone who has formed a negative opinion of Jacko is going to change it based on where he seeks seclusion? Or that his supporters, who stuck with him through the child molestation trial, are going to turn on him because he vacations in a “weird” place? I think he should do what ever he pleases, and damn what anybody thinks. He has nothing to gain by paying much attention the opinions of his critics.

I bet tax considerations had at least something to do with it.

You go to Brazil, you have to bribe a whole bunch of people. You go to Bahrain, you only have to bribe the guy at the top.

That’s the advantage of cozying up with dictators. Once you’re in, you’re in.

(semi-snarky follow-up question)

What happens if you’re out?

There is just as much legal child prostitution in California as there is in Thailand: none.

The Thai government has been trying to shed that image for so long that they would *love * to publicly arrest and convict Jackson. He’d be a fool to go there.
If I were a millionaire pariah of dubious legality, some caribbean island with easily-bought officials seems the best choice.

Among other things he’s still a popular music figure with kids (& older) in the Gulf. People know who he is & like his music. My Qatari students loved him. (Then again this is one of the only places where you can find a classroom of 18 yr old boys who think Backstreet Boys rock…) Makes it easier for the palace doors to open I imagine.

I’m thought he’d spend more time in the UAE (I think of Dubai & Abu Dhabi as the premiere local “Vegases;” to each his own), where he also visited royalty recently.

It’s a freaky surreal part of the world & a rich man’s playground. Additionally there are a fair number of people willing to overlook a little boy buggery. Makes sense to me.

Oh yeah, also want to second furt’s post. This is exactly why Gary Glitter got tossed from Cambodia.

I think where he chooses to live becomes weird by association.

Yeah, but from what I gather, he’s very deep in debt, so the “millionaire” part might not be true. And I believe most of his expenses are being paid by his hosts.

Deep in debt does not equal broke. At the time of the acquittal, he had debts upward of $340 million; Forbes magazine estimates his total holdings at $650 million. He is in a short-term cash crisis, and may have to liquidate his holdings to pay his debts, but by any standard, he is still a millionaire, hundreds of times over.

He’s also been tapped for jury duty, but is unlikely to serve.

Why Bahrain? 1) He likes themed retreat parks, and his host is building a hum-dinger of one. 2) Most anywhere in the western world, he would be mobbed in public and hounded by the paparazzi. 3) Why not? It’s not like he has never been to other places in the world.

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You know, I don’t think there is a factual answer to this one, only opinions.

Off to IMHO with you!

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Because his secret theme song is If I Only Had a Bahrain.

I don’t think Michael Jackson knows how people look at him. I think he thinks he’s a pretty normal guy that people like, and that his music career is going to take off again. So in accordance with that, yeah, I’d think moving to Bahrain wouldn’t fit.