Sentence:  As it is , they consider that the North is now reaping the fruits of excess egalitarianism , that in spite of its high standard of living the `` American way '' has been proved <WSD>inferior</WSD> to the English and Scandinavian ways , although they disapprove of the socialistic features of the latter . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  of or characteristic of low rank or importance