CABBAGE, BREAD, AND DOUGH by Marc Maurer The power of a nation may be measured by its capacity for moral suasion, by its intellectual accomplishments, by the cultural artifacts which result from the efforts of its people, by its military might, or by the magnificence of its architecture. Most of these tests are a measure of what the country has already done--not what it will do. There is, however, a less well-known and more pervasive standard for indicating the position or power of a nation. This is the willingness of others to accept its money. Historically within a region of the world the currency of one nation predominates. The Roman denarius traveled with the Roman army during the conquest of Europe and the Middle East. The influence of this Roman coin was so great that it remained a standard unit of money in parts of Europe from the time of the Roman Empire until the French Revolution in the late 18th Century. In the latter half of the 15th century and during much of the 16th Spain built and maintained the most powerful naval force in the western world. Spanish explorers sent treasure ships to the mother country from Central and South America. Because of the large amount of gold and silver that came into the European economic system, there was a period of major inflation. However, the predominance of Spain in the world was felt in the economies of European countries. The business of the Continent was conducted largely with Spanish money. In 1588 an English fleet defeated the Spanish armada. At about the same time English explorers circumnavigated the globe. By the 19th century there were English colonies in every part of the world. It was said that the sun never set on the British flag. The monetary system of the world also changed. The British pound sterling became the international currency. London became the banking center (and, to some extent, the power center) of the world. In the first half of the 20th century the most readily accepted international currency changed again. President Theodore Roosevelt called a summit conference to discuss monetary standards and to stabilize world trade. The dollar became the predominant unit of international exchange. Whenever the money of a country was to be valued, the standard of measure was the U.S. dollar. At the same time the military power of the United States was regarded as second to none, and the intangible commodity called "yankee ingenuity" was envied and admired. If a nation is to be a predominant world power, its money will have preeminence in world trade. Whether it is that the nation makes the money important or that the money makes the nation important is immaterial. It is true that no important monetary system has ever been established except in connection with a powerful nation. It is not that preeminence in economic affairs is necessarily a precondition to a country's becoming a world power. However, a nation which holds preeminence in its currency will inevitably be among the most powerful in the world. Until recently there were those who wondered whether the Soviet Union would conquer the world. It now appears that this will not be the case. However, if there should be a threat from the Soviets in the future, it is unlikely to be determinative unless a major portion of world trade begins to be transacted in rubles. One of the significant currencies in the world today is the Japanese yen. During much of this century Japan has been a major participant in world affairs. In the early 1900s the naval power of Japan defeated Russia. During the past twenty-five years the Japanese have increasingly captured important segments of the American and European markets. It is worth wondering whether the military power of Japan failed to achieve victory in World War II because the Japanese had not achieved sufficient economic strength at that time. Perhaps more attention to monetary matters would have won more battles for Japan. Such speculation is given heightened plausibility when we remember that one of the weapons used in war is usually counterfeit money. The theory is that if a sizable amount of well-made counterfeit money is distributed in the enemy country, it will cause disruption of the economic system because of fear of accepting that country's currency. We in the National Federation of the Blind devote a great deal of time and effort to fund raising. This is among our most significant activities--not only because of the money we generate (though that is of tremendous importance), but also because fund raising requires us as blind people to adopt roles essential for success. The transformation of a segment of society from one class to another demands that many members of that class undertake tasks which they have not traditionally performed. To do fund raising we as blind people must organize our time, offer a service to others, consider the problems of administration, solve the difficulties of transportation, recognize the need to establish systems of accounting and security, and cope with all of the other details incident to the operation of a complex structure of daily performance and coordinated effort. Whether they say it or not (and, for that matter, whether they even know it consciously), most people begin with the underlying notion that this level of sophisticated activity is too much for the blind--and unfortunately many of us who are blind (at least subconsciously and by our behavior) agree. We of the National Federation of the Blind reject this idea, not only in specifics but also as a general principle of philosophy and commitment. Make no mistake. The money we get through fund raising is important, but even more valuable may be the establishment and continuation of the patterns of daily conduct made necessary by the demands of funding our movement--the patterns of self- respecting, responsible, first-class human beings. The moral of the story is clear: Build a program, raise money, believe in ourselves and our cause, and behave like the successful people we are and are increasingly becoming. Let us do these things, and we will inevitably be preeminent in matters concerning the blind. This message is not aimed just at state and chapter leaders. It is meant for all of us, from the newest member to the national president. Find a way to recruit Associates; join the PAC Plan; raise money to buy DIG policies, for yourself and as a chapter project; sell candy or cookies (the task is not too humble); seek donations from corporations and individuals; and find imaginative ways to attract contributions. These activities will be helpful to the organization because they will broaden our economic base--but they will be at least as important to you and me (and also to the organization as a whole) because in the process of building, we will move ever closer to our final goal of first-class status and full membership in society. Day by day the average Federationist is becoming increasingly more self-assured, confident, knowledgeable, and successful.