The emergent rules in an authoritarian context are different than in a boring bureaucratic context.

A tweaked force of gravity.

All of your intuition about the rules from a bureaucracy is subtly wrong.

Put your head down, don't get noticed.

In the most extreme scenarios, the only principle is self-preservation.

Being very rich only makes you safe in a system with rules.

In a system ruled by one man, that makes you more vulnerable.

You stick out, prominently, and the authoritarian can take that away from you in a moment.

If you're an oligarch, make no mistake about who's in charge.

If you can curry favor, all is permitted.

But if you overstep you'll be cast aside… or out a window.