In an interview with the economist who visited Cuba, the host mentioned a story about Khrushchev visiting the United States, adding that he could not believe that the the prosperity he saw was genuine.
It's a good story, and the premier was impressed by his first hot dog.
"We have beaten you to the moon, but you have beaten us in sausage making."
But beyond a mention of a visit to a supermarket outside San Francisco, I didn't find corroboration for the story. I wonder if the host was thinking of the time Yeltsin stopped at a grocery store after a visit to Johnson Space Center.
- Yeltsin, then 58, “roamed the aisles of Randall’s nodding his head in amazement,” wrote Asin. He told his fellow Russians in his entourage that if their people, who often must wait in line for most goods, saw the conditions of U.S. supermarkets, “there would be a revolution.”
- “Even the Politburo doesn’t have this choice. Not even Mr. Gorbachev,” he said.
I visited the Soviet Union in the same year (1989) and remember having the same thought when I went into their (miserable, empty) shops: "If they could only see what shops in the West look like, they would be astonished." But now look where global capitalism has led us, and the response is... Trump? I just hope this is a transitional step in history and that humans survive long enough to come out wiser.
Agreed. I also keep hoping that this is some strange transitional period that will make more sense in the rearview mirror. I wonder, could the Soviet Union exist in today's day and age? Now that so many of us have the ability to record and share images and videos anywhere, any time the Russian citizenry would no doubt be able to poke holes in their state propaganda. Of course, the North Korean's have their thing, but how long can that last? Especially when you and I can enjoy 5 kinds of pudding pops, or at least we could before they were discontinued. Now we have to somehow manage on 17 flavors of Haagen Daaz, Ben and Jerry's, or the myriad of frozen yogurt confections. Not exactly equal to standing in a bread line I guess.Shoppers and employees stopped him to shake his hand and say hello. In 1989, not everyone was carrying a phone and camera in their pocket so Yeltsin “selfies” weren’t a thing yet.