KINGSTON, Jamaica - Almost five years ago, in an article titled 'Jamaica's costly affair with CARICOM', I called attention to the gross economic abuse Jamaica suffers in its association with CARICOM and suggested that we should withdraw from our trading relationship with the group. My hope was that with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), a party that was at best lukewarm to CARICOM when in office, the Government would have at the very least looked into the matter to determine whether Jamaica's interests were being helped or harmed by the common market relationship. But after several subsequent articles from me, a change of administrations and a new series of articles by Ronnie Mason along the same lines, Government continues to suffer from the delusion that CARICOM is an asset to be cherished and preserved.