`const x = a as LiteralType` lowers to a ternary whose failing arm always
throws and whose successful arm narrows and casts the unchanged source.
The alias projects the same stable owner, so it can borrow like a plain
copy of the binding instead of retaining at the declaration and releasing
at scope exit. Call arguments of the same shape borrow too.
tsc-ts's sameLiteralValue (two casts per call, on the relation hot path)
loses all of its reference counting.