Absurd. Only the most fervent acolyte of marginal gains would ever put friction based on chain angle up against something like rolling resistance. And even if they did, the 1X chainline would only be more extreme in maybe 4 gears-- the top two and the bottom two. In the top two, friction doesn't matter because the hill is too steep, and it matters even less in the bottom two, because we have to ride our bikes in the atmosphere. The same soft argument could be made that 1X is superior to 2X because it's lighter-- no FD, no cable, just one chainring. My bike isn't 1X for weight. I don't care about the weight. Never been bothered by the chainline, either.