I believe Wit/Hoid brings up a compelling argument about Dalinar. In WOR When Dalinar asks if he is a tyrant, Wit replies with
"Do not Sorrow, It is an era for Tyrants. I doubt this place is ready for anything more, and a benevolent tyrant is preferable to the disaster of weak rule. Perhaps in another place and time, I'd have denounced you with spit and bile. Here, today, I praise you as what this world needs."
And while it may not be in direct connection with the incident at Rathalas I think it is a worthy thing to consider here, and have seen others touch on the idea in this thread. The world needs Dalinar. In a different place, in a different time, Dalinar's punishment/redemption may very well have been much different then what we see take place due to the context of world events.