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Nothing more powerful than being part of a movement @ghonim shows us when freed after Egyptian state kidnapping. Watch: http://lb.cm/ZLW

Some takeaways from Wael Ghonim's post-release interview http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/subtitled-video-of-wael-ghon...

The people putting in the work to organize the protests that Mubarak must go:

• planned for non-violence
• planned for doing no property damage
• planned for cleaning up trash in the areas they occupied

They tried to plan for no one getting hurt, too.

Some other things worthy of note:

"I am not the hero."

His recognition that the people breaking laws (and i would add enforcing some evil ones) are also doing it for their country, for Egypt.

His recognition that the poor are paying the biggest price (in this specific case, sales taxes).

His repeated statement that this is not the time to settle scores or divide the cake. (Hold on, let me translate that to American: divide the pie.)

His willingness to sacrifice everything. (And citing of people willing to die.)

The fact (made noticeable by his insistence that the NDP logo be *gone*) that things reach a point of polarization, a point where who's side are you on does make sense and become essential (not the bullying "are you with us or against us" that tries to co-opt patriotism and force everyone into lockstep on vague and general grounds— no, what effective social movements do is make it so a problem can no longer be ignored, make a conflict clear and well defined, so that on a specific question: do we keep this political party and its head in charge or force it to relinquish power and him to leave the presidency, any person in Egypt has to take a side.

His need to correct lies being spread -- including on new Facebook pages, fake profiles, being created by government operatives -- that they

Also note that i have completely failed to convey intense emotion and faith and power.

"I want to tell every Mother and Father, truthfully, of the people who have died. I am so sorry. I swear to God, it's not our mistake, it's a mistake of those who are in charge of the country and don't want to leave their positions."