If by "the left" you also mean every prominent suburban area in America, then yes!
It's right to bring up the military and the trades as viable options, but let's not oversell that stuff. The trades aren't just a shoo-in easy crack at six figures like folks spout off. You gotta work for that master-tradesman slot. It'd probably take you 10+ years to get there if you're good enough. The trades are designed to limit the number of people entering them...it's part of why they make so much money. It's also incredibly hard work and tears up your body as you age.
I think the drawbacks to joining the military are pretty obvious and go without saying.
I never experienced the "only option" talk, either. My high school put forth alternative vocational tracks pretty often. Also the military, among other things. This was in the early 2000's. I'm skeptical that educators force this as the "only way" as much as it's a culturally ingrained thing now. People hear it, even if it goes unspoken.
It's right to bring up the military and the trades as viable options, but let's not oversell that stuff. The trades aren't just a shoo-in easy crack at six figures like folks spout off. You gotta work for that master-tradesman slot. It'd probably take you 10+ years to get there if you're good enough. The trades are designed to limit the number of people entering them...it's part of why they make so much money. It's also incredibly hard work and tears up your body as you age.
I think the drawbacks to joining the military are pretty obvious and go without saying.