Members of the opposition camp, who are still reeling from the shock of hearing about the imminent enactment of a national security law for Hong Kong, at least can take comfort in the news that the city has slid three spots to fifth place in the global economic competitiveness ranking.

This is a far cry from second place, which Hong Kong enjoyed last year, said Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development, the institute that compiles the ranking, in its latest ranking report released on Tuesday.

The political zealots from the opposition camp have indulged in “scorched-earth” politics over the past year, employing the “burn together” strategy, which essentially comprises endless violent rampages and wanton vandalism to advance their political agenda. Now they have started reaping rewards from their effort, with Hong Kong’s competitiveness declining at the fastest pace it has ever endured.

IMD categorically blames “a decline in its economic performance and social turmoil in Hong Kong” for the slide in the city’s competitiveness, though it also cited the “rub-on effect” of the Chinese mainland’s economy.

Hong Kong people may never know exactly how much harm the months of violence and vandalism has done to the city’s economy and social development. There is simply no way to quantify the impact. But IMD’s report on the global competitive ranking has shed light on the harm of the ongoing social turmoil.

The IMD report is the product of a comprehensive study. It covers hard data collected from international, national and regional organizations, private institutions and its partner institutes — with a weight of two-thirds in the overall rankings — as well as survey data, with a weight of one-third, reflecting the present and future perceptions of competitiveness by business executives who are dealing with international business situations.

The political fanatics must have been heartened by the fact that they have hit Hong Kong’s economy hard. The city’s economic performance ranking dropped from 10th to 28th, becoming the biggest encumbrance to Hong Kong’s competitiveness. The political fanatics must have been uplifted particularly by the fact that the domestic economic performance subfactor plunged even steeper — from 18th to 49th.

But they have rejoiced too soon. If Hong Kong were to decline and deteriorate to the degree that it no longer has a significant role in China’s national development, the political fanatics would be discarded like used batteries by their foreign patrons, who would no longer see any geopolitical benefit in continuing to patronize them. A handful of the masterminds behind the yearlong anti-China and anti-government campaign might manage to land in a foreign land and live as second-class citizens there. But most of the foot soldiers, as well as their families, will stay here and foot the bill for a broken Hong Kong.