The Christian- and social-democratic model represents the fullest, most concrete historical expression of the Catholic social teaching inaugurated in the late nineteenth century by the previous Pope Leo—Leo XIII—and so dear to Pope Leo XIV. What are the prospects of that model today? It has been under immense strain ever since neoliberalism took hold, beginning in the late 1970s, but it now faces its greatest test—and opportunity—amid the rise of the Torment Nexus.
What, you might wonder, is the Torment Nexus? It’s a reference to a satirical online dialogue between a science-fiction author and a Big Tech company. The author says, “In my book, I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale.” But the tech company proclaims, “At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel Don’t Create the Torment Nexus.” Pick your favorite fictional dystopia, and chances are, some Silicon Valley firm is working feverishly to turn a profit by realizing its premise.
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