A lot of people think the word "commando" means "superhero", or at least something close to it. In the popular mind, they're thought of as the ultimate elite soldier, the solution to every problem. The fact is, a commando is just someone trained to fight under a specific set of circumstances. He's the guy you send in when there are more bad guys than good guys, when surprise is the only advantage you can get in an operation. When it works, commandos seem unstoppable. Those are the operations that make the papers. When it doesn't work, commandos get killed just as dead as anyone else.
— Michael Westen, Burn Notice, "Loose Ends: Part 2"
This is a mistake we make with all warrior elites - samurai, medieval European knights, modern-day US Navy SEALS or British SAS operators. There is an unfortunate tendency to assume that military elites are infallible, and, worse, to assume that being a great fighter makes someone a great person, that military might somehow equals moral superiority. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course. I once tweeted "Human beings are human beings at all times. Show me an elite warrior cult revered for their stoic self-deprivation, and I'll show you examples of them succumbing to bribes, running from fights, seeking personal advantage and making poor tactical decisions." This is true of Vikings, Gurkhas and Air Force Pararescuemen. It is true of the Spartans, too.
— Myke Cole, The Bronze Lie
