Central planning reduces choices that the greater mass of individuals can make and suppresses trhe feedback in the system:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-03-1 ... ite?page=1
As to who John Cowperthwaite was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kotac3meVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPtayYoHoCY
His job was to do nothing and he did it very well. Hong Kong is the better for it and China has thrived because of what he started. The Chinese are making busts of Cowperthwaite.