Criticism of China, however valid in theory, functions as deflection from critique of western empire. I just don't see any socialist benefit from this rhetoric. Just reads as a manifestation of the frustration one feels when you're unable to achieve political revolution in your own nation.
If the Chinese people agree that their revolution has been betrayed, then let them re-assert it.
I agree that the sudden sweeping legalization of gay marriage in the west was a curiosity. I'm no scholar on it but I'd like to pose a few thoughts based on what we have witnessed since it transpired:
Immediately spawned the widespread, contemporary "deep state" critique within right-wing camps.
2a) Immediately solidified progressive-minded people as well as many oppressed minorities as staunch liberals and backers of western empire. Let's not forget this was between the election and re-election of Obama (first black president).
2b) Further, following on the heels of these bourgeoisie enabled victories - the Trans movement, which has always been around, starts to get an enormous amount of time in the media limelight (Suddenly everyone has to know about Caitlin Jenner and have a virulent opinion on the matter). On top of all of that, Bernie Sanders receives inexplicable media attention as a firebrand socialist around this time rather than getting the typical "media-blackout". Now we've got the red and blue reactionaries pearl-clutching!
The western political atmosphere trends towards "polarization".
---Now for my offered speculation based on the above---
Based on what was accomplished I think the strategic goals were to:
Pink-wash imperial aggression: (Targeted advertising is important here): A progressive will receive information about how Israel (etc) is LGBTQ+ friendly democracy (and their opponent is oppressive regarding LGBTQ+ rights) while a conservative will receive boilerplate islamophobia. Domestically, support for warfare is obtained by playing both sides.
Stoking fascism at home: I think this one is fairly obvious - the progressive victories regarding race, sexual identity, and gender expression (coupled with bourgeoisie media's absolutely cynical commentary on it (driving people into the arms of both the Democrats and the Republicans)) enabled a retrograde pivoting of the Overton window in the long-term. Progressives have been taught that too much change is happening too quickly, so the trans movement must act as the sacrifice made to appease reaction. The Conservatives have been taught that the Anti-Christ occupied the White House and worked with a cabal of ((influential technocrats)) to deliver their beloved Christian empire into the hands of Satan.
As if having a healthy dose of fascism wasn't enough, the "polarization" has delivered the perfect media framing for Democrats to feign an inability to combat it.
---Final conclusion---
Victory at home and abroad for the bourgeoisie at the typical small cost of short-term concessions in exchange for long-term political dominance.
We didn't even get a green new deal as a consolation prize.
Techno-feudalism highlights an interesting point which is basically that, what occurred during the historical dispossession of the commons, is now re-occurring with regards to the "digital commons"( i.e. whatever form of P2P "free" internet humanity managed to foment); anything that cannot be annexed into a private, rent-seeking "Platform" will be increasingly subject to sabotage via legalese and economic plunder.
While this first occurred during the rise of global capitalism, it is also a regular practice which reinforces capitalism. I guess they struggled to achieve this in online spaces for a good while - but that is no longer the case.
Honestly, techno-feudalism is just a bad name for this - as you point out it implies a shift away from capitalism rather than a process of capitalist encroachment/renewal and it also just plainly doesn't have that much to do with feudalism (except the erosion of it). Varoufakis' main gripe as far as I understand is how rent via 'Platform' is becoming a hegemonic force in the digital market domain - but, his title almost seems to imply that rent-seeking is foreign to capitalism and only occurs in feudalism which is misleading and idealistic (i.e liberalism).
When anyone describes a game to me as being a "roguelike" I immediately understand what the game is like less. I also constantly wonder if they mean "rogue-lite" since they sound 99% the same.
And this is after watching like 3 youtube videos on why the term exists; I really don't know how that term caught-on like it did.
no word makes my skin crawl more