Something that really stood out to me during this whole debate was the uncomfortable tension between the two leaders. You can see Nixon forcing laughs and a smile while Khrushchev seemed confident and like he was enjoying himself. It is noticeable how Nixon is trying to give compliments to Khrushchev while the latter has no problem throwing insults. For example, he gave his honest opinions on the kitchen exhibit without a second thought (0:28). This sort of “debate” was very passive aggressive.
I feel like in American politics, politicians always have this front up, where they try to seem very diplomatic and friendly despite the perhaps rocky relationship they have with another country. I’m not necessarily saying this is a bad thing, but I think that something like this kitchen debate could never happen today. I think perhaps this debate shaped the way that the leaders of these two states interacted with each other from then on. Of course, it is fun publicity, but it was also a little scary as threats were hinted at. Afterall, it is sort of hard to have a real debate when the opposing side can easily start a war.
Is it possible that this debate shaped the diplomatic relationship between these two countries, and perhaps with other countries? Did it create more tension for future meetings? Is this one of the reasons that American politicians put on a friendly face when going abroad? Why wasn’t Khrushchev afraid of being brutally honest towards another world power when Nixon was afraid?
