尽管赫鲁晓夫一再声称苏联人民只在意物品是否实用,对奢侈豪华的东西不感兴趣,他显然还是被厨房里五花八门的展品吓了一跳,甚至询问有没有一种机器“能够把吃的塞进嘴巴并让人咽下去”。尼克松回答说至少科技竞争比军事竞争重要得多。最后,两人都同意美国和苏联之间应该加强交流和开放。
美国的消费主义(consumerism)在二战之后迅速崛起,我问Chat GPT,消费主义的迅速发展和厨房对话有何关联,得到了以下的回答:
“Consumerism development is related to the Kitchen Debate in the context of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Kitchen Debate, which took place in 1959 between then-US Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, centered around a US exhibition of an American kitchen in Moscow.
During the debate, Nixon showcased the advanced appliances, modern conveniences, and overall high standard of living in American households. This exhibition was part of the larger cultural and ideological battle between the two superpowers, where they sought to promote their respective societies as superior.
Consumerism development, particularly in the kitchen and home appliance sector, was a key element in the American argument for the superiority of capitalism and the free market. The US presented its consumer-driven economy as a testament to the success of capitalism, stressing the idea that the American people enjoyed a higher standard of living than their Soviet counterparts.
By showcasing the abundance and efficiency of American kitchens, Nixon AImed to emphasize the benefits of consumerism to the Soviet people and imply that the free market system provided a more prosperous and fulfilling life. This focus on consumerism development aimed to win hearts and minds, contrasting the perceived stagnation and scarcity of the Soviet economy with the abundance and choice available to American consumers.
In summary, consumerism development was an essential aspect of the Kitchen Debate as it highlighted the disparities in living standards between the capitalist United States and the socialist Soviet Union, ultimately serving as a tool for ideological persuasion during the Cold War.”
彼时苏联花了大力气在太空和军备竞赛上,一度超过美国。但是事实上消费苏联在不在意呢?我看了看各种资料,认为也是极其在意的。苏联当时的货架上,陈列的舶来品不多,国家是花了大力气鼓励国内品牌建立的。比如说有个品牌叫做Алёнка. 这个巧克力品牌命名来自于第一位上太空的女宇航员,产品1966年上架,很快因为价廉(物美)风靡全国。还有一个叫做Байкал 的品牌,是为了跟可口可乐竞争而创立的。可乐1980年抵制莫斯科奥林匹克,苏联人民于是奋起自行研发带气饮品,同时标榜不带有任何人工添加剂,并且具有一定的药效。饮品一度风靡全国,一瓶难求。
说回到厨房辩论。当时有个品牌出尽了风头,百事可乐。百事当年的老板Donald Kendall在展览会上递给赫鲁晓夫一杯百事可乐,据说当年赫鲁晓夫喝得很愉快,百事从此也就进入了苏联市场。但彼时因为克里姆林的货币问题,买百事可乐只能用Vodka换,所以一度伏特加在美国市场的普及程度相当于百事可乐在苏联的风靡程度。等到1989年苏联和百事可乐合同将要到期之时,苏联政府用了17艘潜艇和3艘战舰,价值30亿美元换了合同。因此Kendall开玩笑说:我们用百事可乐瓦解苏联的速度超过想象。
二战之后,加上冷战,奠定了今后将近100年的消费主义,还记得艾森豪威尔被问到要如何提振美国经济时那一句话么:“Buy!” “Buy what?”, 答曰:“Anything!”消费在当时是爱国主义的表现。
现在的消费,又何尝不是重中之重呢?