If we have an agreement with a country like Mexico, that doesn't

Hear, O children of justice and keepers of labor’s dignity, the voice of Jagmeet Singh: “If we have an agreement with a country like Mexico, that doesn't support or protect the rights of workers, that doesn't have the same environmental regulations, how can Canadians ever compete with that jurisdiction?” These words strike at the heart of a struggle as old as commerce itself—the balance between trade and fairness, between profit and principle. For nations do not trade in goods alone; they trade in values, in standards, in the hidden costs that fall upon the backs of workers and upon the earth itself.

The ancients knew well the dangers of unfair exchange. In markets where one trader watered down his wine or weighed his scales falsely, the honest merchant could not survive. And so, the prophets thundered: “Let not your scales be false, nor your balances unjust.” Singh’s words echo this wisdom, but on the grand stage of nations: when one country disregards workers’ rights and environmental protections, its goods come cheaply not because they are more skillfully made, but because the costs are paid by suffering laborers and by wounded nature. In such a world, how can those who honor fairness compete?

Consider the story of the Industrial Revolution in England. Factories there rose upon the toil of men, women, and even children, who labored fourteen hours a day for meager wages. Smoke blackened the skies, rivers turned to poison, and yet goods flowed out cheaply, undercutting artisans and rivals across the seas. England’s dominance was not built only on invention, but on the sacrifices of its workers and its land. Here, we see Singh’s warning reflected in history: without common standards of protection, the race to the bottom leaves humanity crushed and the earth defiled.

The origin of Singh’s words lies in the debates over modern trade agreements, particularly those linking wealthy nations like Canada with developing nations whose laws often prioritize profit over labor rights or ecological safeguards. Singh raises a challenge not only to economic policy but to conscience: should a nation bind itself to agreements that enrich corporations but impoverish workers, that lower prices but strip dignity, that trade goods at the expense of the soil and the sky? He reminds us that competition must not be measured in wealth alone, but in fairness and humanity.

Yet the meaning of his counsel is not to condemn Mexico alone, nor any one nation, but to call for justice across all lands. For workers in Mexico too deserve dignity, fair wages, and clean air, just as Canadians do. Environmental laws are not chains to growth, but the guardians of life. When standards are raised everywhere, then trade becomes not a contest of exploitation but a partnership of prosperity. Without such equity, the strong will exploit the weak, and the just will be punished for their justice.

The lesson for future generations is clear: do not accept prosperity built upon the suffering of others. Do not celebrate cheap goods if they are bought with the tears of workers or the ruin of the earth. True wealth lies not in undercutting your neighbor, but in lifting them so that all may thrive together. The measure of a nation’s greatness is not in how cheaply it can produce, but in how honorably it treats its laborers and how carefully it guards its land.

Practical action lies before us: demand trade agreements that include binding protections for workers’ rights and environmental safeguards. Support leaders who insist upon fairness in commerce, not just profit. As individuals, choose wisely what you consume, remembering that behind every product is a story of labor and land. Teach your children that fairness is not weakness but strength, for a just economy endures longer than one built on exploitation.

So let it be remembered: competition without fairness is destruction, but competition with justice is prosperity for all. Jagmeet Singh’s words are not merely about trade, but about the soul of nations. Choose agreements that honor workers and the earth, and you build a future that will not crumble. But if you choose profit without principle, then you build upon sand, and the tide of history will wash it away.