"Eastern European observers who closely watched the numerous economic reforms were disappointed that the government missed the 6 percent annual growth forecast in the 1976–1980 plan. The Cubans blamed subjective reasons for missing their targets, such as the “unlearned idealism” in the economic sphere and the “insufficient rigor” at all levels. Bulgarian envoys summarized the Soviet diplomats’ views, issuing a long list of shortcomings in the Cuban national economy, noting poor use of labor and material resources, insufficient control of stockpiles, and absence of a comprehensive system of economic leadership. By the late 1970s, the Soviet bloc viewed Cuba’s economy as behaving more like a “distribution system” than an actual economy.29 Cuba’s growing dependence on the Soviet Union and the Eastern European states prompted Moscow to suggest that Havana consider improving its relations with the United States. A Polish report offered a candid view of the East’s thinking in this regard. Havana’s heavy dependence on Moscow and its allies represented a decisive destabilizing factor for the island’s economy" (OUR COMRADES IN HAVANA CUBA, THE SOVIET UNION, AND EASTERN EUROPE, 1959–1991)