petty
It's a symbol of both the strength and vitality of America and the pettiness and greed of America.
He's thinking of moving to New York to get away from the gossipy pettiness of the British press.
Criticism is often based on pettiness, ignorance or even lack of experience or understanding.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Of little or less importance
be in/under someone's shadowidiom
be neither here nor thereidiom
big deal
biggie
derisory
marginal
meaningless
meaninglessly
meaninglessness
mere
picture
piddling
piddly
piffling
play second fiddleidiom
unserious
unseriousness
venial
vestigial
vestigially

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Complaining
Narrow-minded