Is a centrally planned economy desirable?

As this is a question looking for an opinion, you may have dissenting answers.

Answer 1 - No

The main problem with a centrally planned economy, and from which nearly all problems with the system derive, is the inability for forecasters to properly predict what future consumption will be. This inevitably leads to shortages, when a good is more desirable than previously estimated, and overages, when a good is less desirable than previously estimated. These shortages and overages lead to price instability, which harms businesses and consumers who can no longer adequately budget for their needs in a climate of price jumps and falls. Correspondingly, people buy less than they may want in order to only get what they absolutely need and save for a rainy day. This leads to a contracted economy overall. A free-market economy is able to circumvent the problem of shortages and overages more effectively since businesses are able to increase or decrease production with realtime market information.

It should not surprise anyone that every centrally planned economy has resulted in poor growth and dissatisfaction of the population.