If you ever wanted an object lesson on how Jamaica is handicapped by its low social capital, then the tight fiscal discipline which is inherent in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Agreement will provide just that. The National Transformation Programme (Fresh Start) was finally launched last week, without fanfare and with almost no media attention - a telling indication of our lack of awareness of certain critical issues.

The media indulged their obsession with the IMF, other economic issues, local politics and some sensational enquiries and court dramas. The prime minister at the launch of the National Transformation Programme at King's House repeated a very telling statement he had made the week before at a similar gathering.

He opined that Jamaica's problem was not essentially a resource problem; that, even if we had all the resources necessary to throw at various problems, Jamaica would still not solve what he called its fundamental, underlying problems, which have to do with our relations as a people and our values and attitudes. The Office of the Prime Minister issued a release with the headline, "Money and jobs alone cannot transform Jamaica".

Breaking from an economistic thinking which his own party had been guilty of and which was manifested in the run-up to the last election, the prime minister said, signi-ficantly, that, "We make the mistake so often of believing that our problems are due to resource limitations; that, somehow, if we had the resources so that we could stop borrowing and we could fix the roads and provide assistance to all the people who are looking for assistance, then, somehow, our county would be on the road to prosperity." But no, said the PM. "There are things which we need to do that cannot come out of legislation or government policy action. It has to come from a consensus that emerges from our people that this is where we want to go. We need to address deficiencies that affect as a people: How we live, how we think, how we treat each other, how we relate in our communities."

Values and attitudes

The JLP in Opposition used to downplay issues of values and attitudes, stressing how those were being badly eroded by PNP mismanagement of the economy. If we only fixed the economy and gave people jobs and produced economic growth then some of the moral issues which worry us would be dealt with. That was the mantra that was taken up by certain influential voices in the media. But it was and is tragically short-sighted and misguided. Now JLP leader Golding himself has been saying some very profound things about how Jamaica's fundamental problems are not economic or even constitutional, but cultural and moral.

The media, the private sector, civil society and the Government itself will say the right words about the necessity of social transformation, but they have never been able to come together to give the issue the central concern it deserves. My biggest disappointment with P.J. Patterson is that he did not have the courage of his own convictions and the leadership strength to have struck with his values and attitudes campaign, cowardly backing off with the sting of media cynicism. Since then, it never regained its original lustre and vision with which Patterson had originally infused it.

The programme was maintained in name under Portia Simpson Miller, who did speak a lot about those issues, but the central, decisive focus that the programme needed was never given. It is still today not getting the focus it demands. This is because we continue to see values and attitudes, or what this Government calls national transformation, as the church's responsibility; some kind of religious/ethical matter best suited to be led by the faith-based community. This is a myopic view. Let me show you why.

When the Government begins to slash expenditures in line with the deficit targets agreed on with the IMF, and when people can't get their roads fixed; when their critical infrastructural needs are not being serviced and when communities which badly need a facelift deteriorate without any hope of amelioration, how will people's frustrations be contained?

Affected funds

Then it won't be a religious matter. Already, newspapers have given front-page attention to the fact that the Constituency Development Fund will be affected. It used to be seen as a pork barrel fund, but when you look at the facts, both parties have been using these funds to do significant work at the community level. There are many people who are gong to suffer and many community facilities will be run down as result of the cut in these funds.

But the prime minister put it well: He has already said "no" to cutting back on the health and education initiatives he inaugurated for the poor (happily); he has said "no" to cutting public-sector workers, "no" to cutting security. And, as he went on to say, for every "no" he has said, it means he has to say "yes" to cuts in other areas.

This is the harsh reality and we can stop the foolish and dangerously partisan political games which would suggest that, if the PNP were in power, there would be some painless path which would be found. No one who is not mentally challenged could believe that.

We have to make up our minds as a people that there will be painful cutbacks and that real, flesh and blood people - mainly the poor, but also the middle class - will suffer. My question is, when the pain and suffering start to bite, what will we draw on to mitigate our frustrations? What is it about us and our values and attitudes which will make us bear the pain with grace and dignity rather turn upon ourselves and "bite and devour one another", to use a Biblical phrase?

When "youth and youth" can't get any work; can't even get any money to do any hustling, what will keep them from crime and other forms of antisocial behaviour? When our young girls have no jobs to wake up to, what will keep them from sleeping with sugar daddies and other predators who promise them 'a food money' and some money to help pay the rent and to buy some medicine for their grandmothers? How will we contain the STDs?

Mark Wignall is my favourite street-smart journalist. He knows the Jamaican street more than anyone writing or speaking in Jamaican media. In his 'I know why the caged beast roars' in last Thursday's Observer, Mark explains the realities of inner-city life and gives a quote from one resident: "Mark, you a nuh fool! How you can expect so much poor people wid so much gun, no money, no education, no job, no hope, fi have any peace wid each other?" The only way would be if they had certain values which enabled them to "hold di struggle" and not bow to the temptations.

Social intervention

More youth are likely to be led to the path of the gun because there won't be any money around for any big social intervention programmes.

You remember when all the human rights advocates and social scientists were talking about the need for huge investments in social intervention as a means of curbing crime; making the point that hard policing without massive social interventions will amount to nothing if youth don't have education, jobs, proper community amenities etc? Well, what will happen to us now under an IMF programme when we have to contain the deficit and can't spend as we like? Besides, international social agencies are not now awash funds.

If we can't solve crime without a whole lot of money - the constant cry of many - what is going to happen to us under this IMF programme? For remember, as our prime minister has told us forthrightly, under an IMF programme we have to stick with what we write down on paper, unlike what we have been doing all these 14 years without an IMF programme.

Our finance ministers under both the PNP and the JLP simply come and say, "Bwoy this and that happen and we could not meet the targets." Argument done. Not so with an IMF programme. Something has to give.

No cut in public sector

And when capital projects are cut, jobs are lost (whether actual or potential.) The Government says public-sector jobs won't be cut now, except through attrition. But that itself is worrying for there are many persons waiting to enter the public service and have to be at home because that door is shut.

The public service used to be the only hope of entry into the world of work for many ordinary Jamaicans who would work their way through work and study programmes to get qualified and "step up inna life". Now that door is slammed in their faces. It's not Golding's or 'Man a Yard' fault. (As it was not mainly Omar's in the previous era.) There are deep structural problems in the Jamaican economy which have defied successive administrations.

The issue now is that, with our bling, hedonistic, pleasure-oriented culture where we are slaves to American consumerism while celebrating our Emancipation from British slavery, we are ill-prepared for any IMF austerity agreement.

Strong commitment

If our people are committed to nothing outside of their narrow personal interests, how will the Government get them to respond to any call for "shared sacrifices" or tightening of any belt? Will our educated middle-class youth and professionals, on whom so much depends, be patriotically committed to Jamaica despite the fact that they can't afford the luxury apartments, luxury cars and the "flip it" Negril weekend parties to which they are addicted?

Will our masses, socialised on nihilistic dancehall music which glorifies possessions and bling, be ready for any sacrifice? Will they understand 'Mr Bruce' when he makes impassioned calls for putting country above self? We have no cultural or philosophical resources to sustain any positive response to the hardships which will come - with or without an IMF agreement, but especially with an IMF agreement, which makes no allowance for skylarking. And the one initiative - values and attitudes - which could help is given short shrift by every sector in the society.

Ian Boyne is a veteran journalist who may be reached at ianboyne1@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com