darn mr igh, wrote a good long response, but lost it.
Readers Digest version--it comes down to your bike control, your feel for a given tire/surface/lean angle situation that changes all the time. Coming from a motorcycle background with a bit of racing, I love late braking, and am very comfortable being on the edge of traction. All the stuff you say is true, in some conditions we have to drag the brakes on sketchy unknown trails, and yes, sometimes we drag the rear more, but Illalways take a stronger front, it comes down to your bike handling and brake modulation skills, and your seat of your pants feel for traction.

there is no black and white rules for braking, so many variables that can and do change mid corner.