It still doesn't make sense, because the remote worker pool is global. If that were supposed to make sense then we would all be getting paid third world rates and cost of living would still have nothing to do with it.
then we would all be getting paid third world rates
That’s the end goal of large corporations, yes. Why are we so eager to help them? Developers already undermine their own value by crowing to everyone who will listen “anyone can be a developer and do what we do”.
What do you think your boss thinks when he or she hears you say all these things?
Not just large corporations, also small ones. I think it's a good thing - paying high wages in countries that need it most.
> their own value by crowing to everyone who will listen “anyone can be a developer and do what we do
I sincerely doubt developers believe that, or at least not experienced developers. Software is cutthroat: anything that can be automated is already automated. People who can't work beyond that are useless.
Well being onsite adds value to buyers. If you dont think so, the only way to proce that is by starting your own company with remote-only. Remote devs are cheap so you should be rich very quickly, if they provide the same value as locals.