Is it wrong to decry the decline of world leadership quality?

[Gandalf]

That was 1961, now 1962:

"In South Vietnam, the U.S. had 11,000 'advisers', 300 aircraft, 120 helicopters, heavy weapons, pilots flying combat missions, defoliants, and napalm.<sup>[46]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_in_the_Vietnam_War</sup>