I agree with most of your points bar one: But for the most part a lot of recruiters have nothing but respect for developers and designers in the tech industry

I worked as a tech recruiter in the UK for a number of years and that statement is categorically false. For the most part, recruiters haven't the first clue what developers do or how they can demand the salaries and contracting rates the market offers. For the most part recruiters view developers & designers as arrogant and self-righteous. Only recruiters who genuinely understand the divide between recruiters & developers and understand what developers face on a day to day basis tend to show or possess any respect.

We call the latter 'the good ones' and they are incredibly rare but they do exist.