Red Menace On Technofeudalism: Rent Seeking in Late Stage Monopoly Capitalism
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Sep 10, 2025 Dive into the intriguing world of technofeudalism as Alyson and Breht analyze its roots and implications from a Marxist viewpoint. They explore rent-seeking behaviors, the impact of private equity, and the commodification of digital spaces. The hosts tackle the nuances of Yanis Varoufakis's theories while critiquing the notion of a new economic paradigm. They also discuss tenant organizing and the importance of collective struggle against monopolistic practices, all while reexamining Marxist principles in today's context.
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Techno-Feudalism As A Descriptive Frame
- Techno-feudalism names late-stage monopoly capitalism's new features rather than a literal return to feudalism.
- It highlights digital monopolies, enclosures, and rent-seeking built on data and attention extraction.
Cloud Capital And The New Value Source
- Yanis Varoufakis labels cloud capital and consumer data extraction as central to techno-feudalism's claim of a new mode of production.
- He argues users produce value via posts and consumption without wages, likening it to a feudal peasant-lord relation.
Digital Enclosures Mirror Primitive Accumulation
- Rent-seeking intensifies as monopolies exploit access and platforms rather than produce new commodities.
- Digital enclosures mirror historical primitive accumulation by privatizing previously open spaces and markets.
