There isn’t “nothing at stake but applause and adulation” because what he’s admitting to does not paint him in a good light, and therefore plenty of people will be critical of him, as you’ve just demonstrated. I don’t see how that qualifies as self-serving.

If he did name and shame these people he hints about, the ones who knew, that wouldn’t be any good either. It would reek of somebody throwing people under the bus to try and deflect criticism, or cover their own shame. He’s challenging those people to admit to it themselves, which is the only way that would actually…

As bad as all the post - attack stuff was, the worst moment for me was in the bunker staffed by unprepared civilians when the attack warning-red sounds. They shout “is that for real?”, ordinary people trying to face the fact that things are about to get more awful than they’ve ever imagined, trying to find a way for…