moral low ground

moral low ground

A position of moral impropriety that one's arguments, beliefs, ideas, etc., are claimed or purported to occupy, especially in comparison to a differing viewpoint. The opposite of the more common phrase "moral high ground." That is a repugnant view of this case—I can't believe you're taking the moral low ground here!
See also: ground, low, moral
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • the moral high ground
  • go to the stake
  • (one's) (true) stripes
  • (one's) true color(s)
  • (one's) true colours
  • a value judgement
  • have nothing to do
  • a peg on which to hang something
  • a peg to hang (something) on
  • a peg to hang a matter on
References in periodicals archive
Rather than take the moral low ground by complaining about a lack of respect for dead soldiers and their families, it might help if they opened their eyes and explained why Afghanistan today is still closer to chaos than stability.
Bad enough that one derby in this country of ours is known for what goes on in the stands without the next biggest one rushing to join them on the moral low ground.
We don't now need equally-cynical, so-called expert analysts adding to the game's woes by joining them on the moral low ground.
The cultural half of populism always raged at a cosmopolitan elite from the moral low ground of provincial bias and, occasionally, bigotry.
Thorpe, 35, is likely to escape punishment for his outburst, not least because the ECB are in no position to punish free speech when they are happy to claim the moral low ground over Zimbabwe.
Now their uncle is crawling through the moral low ground raising issues which can only cause them more grief and heartache.
One sharp-minded letter writer to my paper once wrote after a particular City Council decision that the city had taken "the moral low ground." Another example comes from a recent National Public Radio program: The host noted how a current warm-weather fashion accessory thought to be new and trendy is actually four decades old.
The Serbs and the Croats, whose war occupied Europe in the early days of postcommunist nationaiism, fought on the depressing plains of the moral low ground: two aggressive, authoritarian regimes leading their citizens to kill each other in the name of ethnic purity and territoriai lust.