We once invented a saying that we thought was insightful. To wit:

         Gays, like submarines, only surface in friendly waters.

In the same way that a submarine commander protects his vessel by only surfacing in friendly waters, the gay person, likewise, only surfaces in a liberal society, remaining hidden in a conservative society. That decision is a reflection of the community that the gay person finds themselves in.

Kuffar, in the same manner, either express their kufr openly, or choose to hide it by being hypocrites. That decision is a reflection of the state of the believers among them.

When the believers fear God, the kuffar fear the believers. And when they don't, the kuffar begin to voice their kufr openly.

Allah has said:

Verily the hypocrites are in the lowest rung of the fire.

A hypocrite is a kafir, who in addition to his kufr, hides his kufr out of fear of people. We argue that a society where kuffar hide their kufr is a healthy one. But when the believers are weak, the hypocrites surface and spout their kufr openly.