It may be that it is I that is missing something, not you
This is just a personal feeling, not sure that its strong enough to call an opinion
The way I see it is that if you buy a gas stove it is very much a complete system, not affected greatly by wind or damp, complete with all necessary stands, shields or reflectors. Anyone can buy it and use it to do basic heating with minimal skill or imagination.
Buying a meths burner can be much the same, but there is greater scope, particularly if you have made your own. Wind shields and stands are things that can be home built or improvised in the field. I have used my Coke can stove with pot hangers and a birch bark wind deflector. Its succeptibility to wind means I have to read the land a little more to find a properly sheltered spot. The proximity of the flame to the ground can mean you make little "alien landing" burn marks on the ground unless you have chosen the site, or base, with a little care (the same holds for some gas stoves too, but not the ones where the burner is perched on top of the canister). The fuel seems more sensitive to cold and damp and in miserable weather can require a bit more coaxing than a gas stove.
I guess you could draw a parallel between wool/ventile and proprietory fleece/Goretex. We tend to buy all our clothing, which means it is all equally commercial and a product of the modern world. However, the simpler materials need a little more care to use, can at a push be made or modded at home, and their simplicity devorces the user just a little less from the outdoors than going with the very latest modern manufactured product.
