Why Humor and Historical Context Matter in Political Commentary and Fight Against Disinformation with Patrice
Wed Feb 04 2026
Patrice, a political commentator, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to talk about the need to write anonymously to be able to maintain his freedom of expression without jeopardizing his corporate career or putting his family at risk. His aims to show that modern political tactics are not new but part of a well-established historical pattern with predictable results. The use of first-person narratives and fictional characters is proving effective in attracting a growing international audience to his Substack Open Letters by Mersault.
Deepak and Patrice talk about:
The need for independent writers to counter disinformation The long history of the demonization of opponents Using humor, satire, and an entertaining approach to make sharp political critiques more effective Educating readers to fight disinformation #TheDemLabs #PoliticalWriting #Substack #AnonymousJournalism #PoliticalAnalysis #Democracy #GlobalReaders #HistoricalContext #PoliticalCommentary #DigitalActivism #IndependentMedia #PoliticalEducation #ResistanceWriting
Open Letters by Mersault on Substack
TheDemLabs.org
More
Patrice, a political commentator, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to talk about the need to write anonymously to be able to maintain his freedom of expression without jeopardizing his corporate career or putting his family at risk. His aims to show that modern political tactics are not new but part of a well-established historical pattern with predictable results. The use of first-person narratives and fictional characters is proving effective in attracting a growing international audience to his Substack Open Letters by Mersault. Deepak and Patrice talk about: The need for independent writers to counter disinformation The long history of the demonization of opponents Using humor, satire, and an entertaining approach to make sharp political critiques more effective Educating readers to fight disinformation #TheDemLabs #PoliticalWriting #Substack #AnonymousJournalism #PoliticalAnalysis #Democracy #GlobalReaders #HistoricalContext #PoliticalCommentary #DigitalActivism #IndependentMedia #PoliticalEducation #ResistanceWriting Open Letters by Mersault on Substack TheDemLabs.org