Societal value does not equal central planning. I understand what you were implicitly referring to (Soviet-style "socialism"), and I agree it can serve as a negative example at best.

I think the real dichotomy is societal (long-term) value vs. individual (short-term) value. The latter has led to an industry destroying the planet, "social media" actively promoting hatred etc.

How to implement socially valuable objectives instead of those destroying the basis of human life and atomizing society is a difficult political question. Central planning is probably not the answer, but that does not mean we should just give up.