He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.

Summary

This quote sarcastically highlights the idea of praising someone's character traits and loyalty, but also casts doubt on their actual existence or death. It suggests that all the praise and admiration given to this person might be based on uncertain, exaggerated, or even fabricated claims. This quote serves as a cautionary reminder to critically evaluate the information and sources before wholeheartedly accepting and idolizing someone's qualities.