Multiply the simple act of kissing the bureaucrat's ring a million fold and you get secular stagnation in the economy. Every small decision by entrepreneurs of whether to try that new product must be weighed against the bureaucratic burden. Every new "common sense" rule comes with permanent costs. Each time a regulator has latitude to determine whether you can move forward with your project -- as opposed to a strict rule book with concrete requirements -- that regulator is susceptible to corruption and political retaliation. When the needle starts to tip toward entrepreneurs not taking the risk, then you get stagnation. The bureaucracy will slowly strangle the vibrant economy to death.