It's easy to get caught up in our first-person narrator and protagonist and think, as he often does (when Michael isn't there to call him out on his unbelievable arrogance) think that it's all about Harry. Chicago's getting destroyed and it's all his fault (why? reasons.). The White Council is scheming to kick him out, again. The Red Court kidnapped his daughter. All him, right?
Wrong.
When the Red Court kidnapped Maggie, and sent some minor hitters to blow up Harry's life, it wasn't about Harry Dresden. He was just a minor bonus. The Red Court plot in Changes was about (1) the Black Council seizing control of the Red Court and (2) killing Ebenezar McCoy with the bloodline curse. Harry and Maggie are the one weakness of the terrifyingly powerful Blackstaff.
I think the latest White Council outrage is the same.
The Senior Council has issued a death warrant for Harry Dresden, ordered the Blackstaff to execute him (on pain of treason), and then suspended the sentence.
To Harry, and to us, this feels like a return to the days of Morgan and the Sword of Damocles hanging over Harry's head. And maybe it is -- maybe we never really understood the point of that, either. Maybe that was all about Ebenezar McCoy too.
Proposed: The new Sword of Damocles isn't hanging over Harry's head at all. It's hanging over Eb's. The other Senior Councilors know Eb won't actually execute Harry. That's the point. If they un-suspend the sentence, it's a way to turn Eb into a Traitor to the White Council. It's a *political* move, probably by the Merlin's faction, to gut one of the main opposing factions in the Council. Harry's not the target, he's Eb's weak spot. And now the Merlin finally has a threat sufficient to keep his attack dog in line.