So why aren't there more people for these highly compensated jobs?
I remember seeing someone say 'Running is free, but not everyone can be Usain Bolt'.
A bit elitist to be sure, but being a good developer requires a certain type of thinking that simply isn't common in the general population.
Mostly correct, with one objection: time is also a necessary resource to become a software developer. Some people who may have the talent do not get the opportunity to learn simply by having to keep a full-time job (or two) since they were 18 (and getting a shitty education before that). Most of us have enough free time to learn things (otherwise we would not have enough time to discuss on HN), but it is not universally true.
That said, although giving everyone a realistic opportunity to become a software developer would be fair to the unlucky individuals, I do not assume that it would change the balance in general.
Access to quality, free information isn’t enough, sadly. The average person the world over isn’t in a position to make the jump due to economic factors over intellectual limits.