You pay it by buying new hardware.
My 2013 macbook pro with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD has been deprecated by apple so the latest OS it gets is Big Sur, it has now been barred from signing updates (since they require the latest XCode which I cannot get with Big Sur) so its only viable life is via Linux from now on.
I have had to buy a Mac Mini with 8 GB of RAM and a 250 GB SSD to be able to upload updates for my iOS apps.
I mean I can afford it, but yeah, we are paying for OS updates dude.
That’s the reason they also updated their EULAs to set a minimum renting period of 24hs for providers like Amazon and MacStadium. They want you buying hardware, they don’t want to leave any easy way out.
yes, if by remotely disable you mean getting destroyed by US missiles the moment chinese troops lay a foot in Taiwan.