The cold war was over, but pre 9/11.
Coordinated global action can solve environmental problems (phasing out of CFCs). Turns out CO2 emissions not such an easy problem to solve.
Rave / House music culture based on euphoric togetherness rather than sex and violence.
The economically rising east asian nations giving the west ever more affordable consumer goods, but not yet threatening US domination of the world order (especially after the bubble in Japan burst).
The utopian promise of the `information super highway'.