The statement "and meat for the infantry as well" is indeed over the line of good taste.  It denigrates the worth of a career in the military and is typical of comments made by those blissfully ignorant of the realities of 21st warfare. 
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As for your analysis of the aspirations of local high school attendees, applying the "80/20 rule" is immensely comical.  Based upon your limited research how did you deduce whether it was 80% of the "iolani (sic) kids" who wished to work rather than further their education, rather than the reverse?
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Finally in Finland "by the age of fifteen, most are job ready".  Has Finland no child labor laws?  The horror...THE HORROR !!!