Charles, I think Arthur made the proper distinction. To have declined to apologise would be reasonable. To go out of his way to display how Russians were also vicitms, Putin was not merely declining to apologise, or seeking to downplay any Russian fault, but seeking to use the event to rewrite the historical record in Russia’s favor.
I don’t expect American Southerners to apologise for the Civil War, nor do I expect them to just pipe down about any injustice they endured at the hands of the GAR (though one should pick one’s spots with such things). To use a public event to proclaim that it was really the Union which had held more slaves would be unacceptable.
Arthur, liked the book, BTW. I sniffed out the general shape of the ending, but you still surprised me with the last few twists.
