[nicepace]

I don't blame John for anything. I think he has always just gone along with whatever Mick says. He's not going to change that pattern at this point, even if he does think sacking Lindsey is a stupid move. He just wants to play his bass and stay out of the drama.

Christine's role in this is more complicated. After the creative and emotional success of BuckVie last year (the album was great, the tour was fun), she must be feeling that she's lost her real musical partner. The one who made everything work, both in the studio and on the road. So why didn't she take his side, put her foot down, leave the band? We'll never know for sure, but I'm sure it has something to do with her longstanding friendships and lifelong shared histories with Mick and John. She is good friends with John, and Mick was the one who stayed in touch with her during her retirement and helped her get on that first airplane flight. Despite his obvious greed and the undeniable fact that he puts money ahead of creativity, he's not all bad as a human being. I'm sure she both gets along with him on a personal level and feels that she owes him a debt of gratitude for his help during the time she rejoined the band. (Plus, who knows if there are "contractual obligations.")

I realize that this reads as if I'm trying to defend Christine. I'm really not; I wish she'd done something to defend Lindsey, other than looking really uncomfortable in interviews. But I can see the complexity of the situation, from her viewpoint.