NOT BEING brought up "die-hearted" (or is it "dye-hearted"), I honestly have a hard time understanding how some people can join actually join one of our major political parties. When the time comes to vote, I suppose I will have to cast a ballot, but I was brought up in the church, and was told to avoid bad company and always tell the truth. It seems to me that I cannot be a good churchman and throw in my lot with men and women who are merchants of death and who lie as easily as they draw breath.

Politics in Jamaica is not about truth, justice or representation of the people. It is about power: gaining power, and holding on to power. Some people want power for power's sake; others want power because it is the route to wealth ­ big money! ­ and status. For the majority of Jamaicans (especially in the rural areas), playing by the rules ­ going to primary school and being a good boy or girl ­ leads to illiteracy and poverty. For many people, joining a political party and getting a house or a job or a contract or a loan guarantee ­ is the only way out of the poverty trap. Listen to so many of the political candidates speak as they are interviewed on the radio: so many of them are uncomfortable with the English language. They did not get to where they are because they received an excellent education, but because of politics, that great provider of social status and wealth.

And that is why people who depend on the government for their income are the most politically fanatical: their bread-and-butter depends on it. No matter what impossible promises are made, what lies are told, what scandals and corruption are revealed, how many people are shot down in their name in political gang wars, or by the police, they will follow whoever "till they die." Until the majority of Jamaicans can make it on their own without "bulla work" and a dip into the bag with the political scarce benefits and spoils, Jamaica will continue its slide downhill.

The politicians know this, and that is why they have taken the necessary decisions to keep us dependent upon them. One of the slogans of the JLP is that they have never let Jamaica down. That, of course, is not true. In the 1960s they chose to build Junior Secondary Schools rather than high schools to keep down the majority of Jamaicans. They let us down badly then, but the owners of the sugar and banana estates were happy.

In the mid-1990s when the rest of the world was booming with economic growth, Jamaica was in economic decline. The PNP let us down badly then, but politics demands that good Comrades swallow their spit and claim that their government has the best economic policies and the best Finance Minister in the history of Jamaica, and that the country is on the verge of economic takeoff in the fourth term ­ when the rest of the world is heading for recession!

One of the advantages of being in the New Beginning Move-ment was to hear the confessions from the horse's mouth: who bought arms and ammunition, and who gave gun to who, and who sen' who to beat up who, and who spen' the night before the election stuffing ballot boxes; and the like. And then to hear the PNP and JLP leaders deny any link between their parties and thugs and gunmen and drugs. They all lie so well!

I am tired of hearing the argument that since there is no crime or gun violence in Tivoli Gardens, this proves that Tivoli Gardens is a law-abiding place. To me, this is clear proof that the Tivoli Defence Force is of the highest quality. The consistent overvoting in Tivoli Gardens (more votes are cast than there are people on the roll) means that the boast of being the longest serving Member of Parliament is not such a badge of honour.

And who will control the streets of Kingston and Jamaica? The higglers? The police? The Dons? Is the extortion racket just another tax upon the business community to pay for the grass-roots party machinery? Of course the politicians say they have no dealings with the dons, but attendance and messages at their funerals tells a different story. Why can't we control crime? Because of the links between gunmen and politicians. But don't forget: the police have a free hand. That is why they have made such good progress cleaning up the garrisons and the extortion rackets. Are you not tired of lies?

A man faints twice in public, and on other occasions is in such discomfort that he has to have electric fans trained on him all the time; but he is not ill, and his doctor's have given him a clean bill of health.

An ambulance draws up at the PNP Meeting last Sunday and backs up to the stage. Why was it there? One PNP official says it was to fulfil a protocol re Prime Ministerial functions; another says it has nothing to do with the Prime Minister; another says it was for the general public in case anyone faints; still another says that because the Prime Minister was about to announce the date of an election he might get shot, and this was an emergency team. Is any one of these explanations the truth?

If you vote for a third party, you will be wasting your vote, because they can't win, so vote for the JLP. Right?

At his swearing-in ceremony, the Prime Minister promises transparency in government, but pushes through Parliament an "Access to Information Act" which makes transparency more difficult.

The government says that the NRCA is merged with the Town Planning Department to enhance environmental protection, not to minimise it.

Where are the churches in all this? Their members are in the thick of things, telling the lies and benefiting from them. And throwing their tithes and collections. This Christian country of ours is a marvelous place! God help us!

Peter Espeut is a sociologist, and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.