It was! Also, in early 1990s we had food shortages and long lines in stores for basically everything (in Moscow! things were much worse in the regions), which was a direct result of the government controlling the economy for many years through directives and completely ignoring the basic laws of economy.

Sadly, the examples of economies of Soviet Union, and Cuba, and Venezuela, and North Korea etc. are somehow not sufficient enough for people to realize the danger of such control.