The old idea that westerners, particularly Americans, overemphasize values and ideology is a great example of a perspective that leads others to underestimate their competitors.

Sure, economic impact and power are huge. And that's far from a settled zone of conflict, I would add. But when a values-based culture leans into its strengths once again, in the famous United sense, one must ask how well its competitors can compete, or if they can compete at all, in that specific arena.

The idea that adopting repression is the only recourse here is in effect directly advising against the deployment of established strengths. (By the way, did all those millions of Hong Kongers in the streets suddenly disappear, or...?)