Not long after the Berlin Wall came down, Mac and I hosted groups of East Europeans on their first visit to the West.
As an introduction to the benefits of capitalism, I used to like to take them to the local supermarket. It was a real treat to see the look of bewilderment on their faces at the sight of a fully stocked Tesco. They’d never seen so many things for sale in one place before. They just couldn’t believe the number and range of goods available, and the experience was sometimes too much for them.
On her first visit to Tesco, one of the Latvians got hung up on the toothpaste aisle. She was confused by the number of dental hygiene products available. “All these are different?” she asked. No, I said, they all do pretty much the same job; it’s mostly just the packaging that’s different. “It is good to have choice” she said, still staring at the display, “Which one does the government recommend?”
