scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

• scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds

Originated with the Black Panther Party.

One of the variations of the proverb formula scratch (somebody) and you'll find (somebody else). Compare for example Russian поскреби русского - найдёшь татарина (poskrebi russkovo - najdjóšʹ tatarina, “scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tatar”).

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

1. (politics, derogatory) People who identify as liberals (usually rather than leftists) are not uncomfortable with fascist beliefs.
   • 1982, Stuart Christie, “Left, Right: The March of Political Extremism in Britain, by John Tomlison published by John Calder at £4.95 [Book Review]”, in Anarchist Review, number 6, Cienfuegos Press, page 42 of 42-43:

     Scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist, they say - this book does just that, not only with the author but with the Rt. Hon. Joe Grimond M.P. who provided the introduction to the book.

   • 2009 August 23, Jacqueline S. Homan, Barbara's Blog: Barbara Ehrenreich Comments on Working in America‎^[1] (comment), archived from the original on 8 April 2010:

     I have a friend in the poverty movement named Larry Carter Center. He always had this saying, "scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist." I believe he's got a valid point.
     The limousine liberals who *are* in a position for lending a hand-up to those struggling with deep poverty are precisely the ones who chop us off at the knees.

• NazLib