Ralph Peters of the New York Post is saying what everyone already knows is fundementally true about our problems in Iraq.

With Iraqi society decomposing - or, at best, reverting to a medieval state with cell phones - the debate in Washington over whether to try to save the day by deploying more troops or withdrawing some is of secondary relevance.

What really matters is what our forces are ordered - and permitted - to do. With political correctness permeating our government and even the upper echelons of the military, we never tried the one technique that has a solid track record of defeating insurgents if applied consistently: the rigorous imposition of public order.

That means killing the bad guys. Not winning their hearts and minds, placating them or bringing them into the government. Killing them.

Let’s forget about Iraq for a second. Whether or not we win or lose there is not nearly as important as this issue we now face: The most powerful military in the history of civilization is unable to defeat a ragtag bunch of insurgents because they lack the will to effectively kill them. This is a problem that is going to haunt us for decades, long after everyone forgets about Iraq.

Hat-tip: Instapundit