Trust me, if I'm not calm right now, I would be denouncing the game elsewhere instead of just seeking solutions on the forum.
For 1) I never disagreed about the effects of tech being better. In fact, that's exactly what I have been talking about. The reforms are bad because they bring no permanent benefit to a unciv country while costing a lot more research than before, which brings only the challenge & difficulty but no fun into the westernization process.
2) I know that point, but it's extremely annoying when some people try to justify the new westernization reforms with "the tech will be cheaper if u wait", which makes no sense.
If the westernization reforms cost less and produce some lasting positive effect (education/military/etc.) on the entire country all the way to end-game, (giving unciv some edge against the civ after westernization to overcome the tech distance) then I am all in for it, but right now they cost a lot of time and brings little benefit. Since the gaming experience of playing unciv is not improved, I say the reforms have failed to achieve their intended purposes and thus being a letdown of AHD.