Keen On America

Ray Suarez on 2025: America's Last Idealist Looks Back at a "Jaw-Dropping" Year

Dec 16, 2025
Ray Suarez, a veteran journalist and author, dives deep into the 'jaw-dropping' year of 2025. He reflects on the shocking return to 19th-century colonial attitudes in U.S. policy, particularly towards Latin America. Suarez also warns of looming inflation in 2026 due to economic populism and discusses the erosion of trustworthy media voices. With personal anecdotes and insights from his PBS show, he emphasizes the need for a rebalance of power and cautious politics moving forward.
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INSIGHT

A Year That Broke Political Norms

  • Ray Suarez says 2025 was a jaw-dropping year that repeatedly surprised veteran reporters.
  • He argues this administration broke norms by lying to judges, neutering Congress, and using the military at home.
INSIGHT

The American Project Is Expanding Rights

  • Suarez frames the American project as widening rights over time, enabled by an amendable Constitution.
  • He warns current moves to revisit Obergefell, Loving, and Wong Kim Ark are revanchist and aim to repeal late-20th-century gains.
ANECDOTE

Military Moves In The Caribbean

  • Suarez recounts U.S. actions in the Caribbean, including boats hit by missiles and boarding tankers bound for Cuba.
  • He calls these moves 19th-century style and evidence of treating Latin America as a U.S. backyard.
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