Tell that to Snowden and the other whistle blowers
I'd much rather get the opinion of the Hong Kong journalists that were detained by the CCP, or any of the millions in detainment camps- whose "crime" was religious or ethnic affiliation!
In China the rule is Snowden. Everyone becomes Snowden if you speak any truth whatsoever to power.
If your ideas start a movement and those people vote, then politicians will listen. You could also hire lobbyists and use financial resources to influence. The point is ideas without influence might as well never have existed.
In China however they police and censor even individual social media posts, let alone allow influencers to gain millions of followers if they disagree with government policy. This is a deeply paranoid and illegitimate government that uses fear and violence to get its way. Very different from western democracy.