The wraiths' most deadly weapon is, undoubtedly, fear. And fear is very powerful. As it is said in F. Herbert's Dune, "Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration." The Nazgūl were able to make people frightened beyond belief by calling out to eachother with their chilling, deadly voices. With a weapon, such as this, they did not need to fight with swords, cannons, etc, because when people are afraid they don't want to fight-- if their fear conquers them, then their ability to rationalize is eradicated, they want nothing but to cower down and hide, like they people of Minas Tirith did in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Of course men or elves can kill the wraiths. Men were just too afraid. And elves...don't know if they ever had the chance. Besides Glorindel, that is...but then, at that time he wanted to lead Frodo&co away from the Wraiths and into Rivendell. It was too big a risk to kill the Wraiths and not the right time.
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The musicians had indeed laid bare the youngest, most innocent of our ideas of life, the indestructible yearning for the way things aren't and can never be. ~ Philip Roth, The Human Stain
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