““The only way to make me stand in line for half an hour to buy a spool of thread, or to make me spend six weeks in getting stamps on paper when I want to drive a car, is to use the energy of persons who otherwise would be making more thread and more cars.””
It critiques bureaucratic inefficiency, arguing that only by redirecting people’s productive energy toward pointless tasks can a system force compliance.
In simple terms: Inefficiency as a control mechanism
Bureaucracy wastes human potential
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Some argue that regulated processes ensure safety and fairness, though they may also create friction.
