The Kitchen Debate (Nixon and Khrushchev, 1959) Part II of II

This is Part II. Ampex fans will enjoy hearing, at 1:52 "This program is now being recored on Ampex Color tape, and it can be played back immediately and you can't tell that it isn't a live program..."

The Kitchen Debate was a series of impromptu exchanges (through interpreters) between then U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev at the opening of the American National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow on July 24, 1959. For the exhibition, an entire house was built that the American exhibitors claimed anyone in America could afford. It was filled with labor saving and recreational devices meant to represent the fruits of the capitalist American consumer market. It was the first high-level meeting between Soviet and U.S. leaders since the Geneva Summit in 1955. It took place in a number of locations at the exhibition but primarily in the kitchen of a suburban model house, cut in half so it could be viewed easily.

The two men discussed the merits of each of their respective economic systems, capitalism and communism. It was recorded on Ampex color videotape, a new technology pioneered in the U.S by the Ampex company.; during the debate Nixon pointed this out as one of the many American technological advances.

Both men argued for their countrys industrial accomplishments, with Khrushchev stressing the Soviets focus on things that matter rather than luxury. He satirically asked if there was a machine that "puts food into the mouth and pushes it down". Nixon responded by saying at least the competition was technological, rather than military. In the end, both men agreed that the United States and the Soviet Union should be more open with each other. However, Khrushchev was skeptical of Nixon's promise that his part in the debate would be translated into English and broadcast in the U.S.

Ampex Data Systems Corporation is still on the forefront of technology development. More information can be found at www.ampex.com

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  Science & Technology

[Pedro Vigil]

Anyone think Kruschev looks really cool in the hat?

[wallywallz]

crazy how obama enuciates very similar to Nixon

[Jose Castillo]

Fijense nixon no lo ve a la cara trata de esquivarlo...jaja

[dexter ritty]

what am embarrassment to his country. im talking about nikita.

[rsheldon86]

Fight!

[SpartanPict]

Krushchev is like a big baby. Reinds me of Churchill

[SlugNation]

Wish we had subtitles for Khrushchev; cant hear the interpreters. Many thanks for good tape though!

[mcrisostomos1]

I was thinking the same thing!!!!



[Maciano Van der Laan]

Kruschev looks and acts like a folksy fun Russian prole and Nixon as a stiff upper class WASP who can't help somehow liking the guy.

It's a bit as if Nixon met his slightly drunk older uncle at a party. I've never seen anything this high profile being this informal.

[ferhordlingrads]

I don't think the point is that the American mind beats the Russian mind, but that any mind works better with the freedom of ideas and the benefit of capitalist prosperity in the United States than in the political and economic structure of the Soviet system. Regardless of which side, if any, is superior, Zvorykin supported the White Army during the Russian Revolution and decided to make the US his permanent home after they lost, so I don't think he and Khrushchev would get along.

[xcvbcxvb]

Color tv? Vladimir Zvorykin was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. Including color tv.

[runbkv]

He said that the American nation is smart, but we are not stupid. On this let us compete