This distinction is often ignored in newspapers. If someone breaks the window of,
e.g., a McDonalds store, some reporters may speak of "violence". It would be more accurate to speak of property damage.
Of course, there may be cases where one leads to the other. No doubt.
Nonetheless, I was interested to read what one person in the streets in Greece had to say
(apparently explaining the willingness of some to set a building on fire). The Greek
said that the government had declared war on the people, so the people were responding in kind. (By setting fire to a building near the parliament.)
"Vláda nám vyhlásila válku, a na tuto válku my taky odpovíme válkou," citovala agentura AP jednoho demonstranta.
Some people speak of "structural violence"--death and injuries caused by a system, by institutions..... (As Ted Honderich once pointed out, if you die from hunger, it is a slow death, but it is still a real death....)
Structural violence is often invisible--especially for those who are in the more prosperous part of the population.....
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