> This point of view is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what the web is. HTML is more concerned with semantic abstractions than the specifics of how a page renders (use a pdf if you want to control the layout). This was an important design choice because it recognizes that the client is responsible for the rendering, which is free to completely ignore the suggestions made by the page.

You are describing the web as it was 25 years ago. No modern browser works this way.