Gregg Valentino and Vlad Yudin debate censorship in bodybuilding, on social media, and in politics.
Gregg Valentino has always been known for his vocal opinions. He was labeled the Ramblin’ Freak and has told a wide variety of stories that showcase an underground world most people don’t see in every day life. In recent years, Gregg has seemed more vocal about censorship and even more vocal about politics directly as we head closer to the presidential election. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Gregg Valentino details his increased efforts against censorship of all sorts – in bodybuilding, online, and in politics.
With the presidential election fast approaching, the country has been in a seemingly year long argument. Never before have politics invaded all aspects of life. Gregg Valentino is noticing this too. But this speaks less about politics with a capital P and more about morality, ideology, and censorship.
Gregg Valentino believes that we are headed towards a world without free speech. He believes the Democratic party will take us there. But beyond that, he also feels that left leaning business such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, and YouTube will also bring a removal of free speech.
It’s no secret that Gregg Valentino has been vocal about taboo subjects throughout his career. He has always been vocal about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. He’s always felt like freedom of speech, even about dangerous drugs, is important and should not be censored.
But long gone are the wild west days of the internet. Gregg is noticing more than ever that big online business that deal with public forums are controlling who gets to say what. YouTube can demonetize and suppress videos that don’t say the “right” things. Facebook fact checks posts and removes them – but who is fact checking the fact checkers? Twitter does the same.
While this argument is larger than Gregg Valentino himself as people both sides of the aisle make cases for and against these policies, it appears that personally Gregg has had enough.
He has been more vocal about censorship and more willing to discuss politics in recent years. That’s why Vlad Yudin decided to talk in detail about this change in his public stories. What unfolds is a debate about where the line should be drawn. Can completely open free speech be taken advantage of by propaganda and manipulators? And who should regulate that and stop it from happening? When does regulation become censorship against free speech?
It’s a grey area or perhaps a maze with no easy way out. For Gregg Valentino, he believes in letting everything be wild, open, and free. Let the people decide what is right and what is wrong. Gregg has faith in the intelligence of people. He thinks that propaganda would be caught by the masses. That true evil will be seen and vanquished by the public at large.
That’s how he’s always felt about steroids in bodybuilding. He’s just now widening his conversation to the entire country and politics in general.
You can watch Gregg Valentino’s full comments on censorship, political correctness, and politics in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
