First Sentence

"The disintegration of the Soviet Union and its empire, European cooperation in the U.S.-orchestrated military intervention in the Gulf, the embrace by many Third World regimes of pro-U.S. economic and foreign policy positions, and Washington's aggressive pursuit of free-trade agreements that expand the scope of U.S. market penetration and political influence, are all powerful indicators of the renewed ascendancy of the U.S. in global politics."