Not arguing with your conclusion, just pointing out the reality of the situation. Physics is physics. In practical terms, the difference of those few milliseconds has to be multiplied by a jillion transactions for the distance to have any real effect. Since I don’t personally own an investment banking firm, this has yet to change my personal wealth. They make their money at one end of the scale, and I make mine at the other end. YMMV. ;-)
Agreed. I learned a very valuable lesson when I was about 18. A buddy took me to an American Legion post. There were some guys playing poker and my buddy asked if I knew how to play. So I ante up and to make a long story short, they had a few house rules that I’d never heard of, itchy Kings and such. Anyway the lesson I learned at a small cash cost was, he who owns the table makes the rules. I have since been loathe to get into something that I didn’t have the power to influence fairly.