Daily reminder that the line for what effectively is/isn't a civilian evaporated when we gave everyone the vote. Even if you restrict men who could be drafted you still have credible claims that women/children are non-targets on the basis that they have no legitimate participation in political violence.

Because the franchise expanded over time, the trend over time is to view the entire polity as an objectively solitary block of political violence. This trend includes children. The telos of mass conscription is ultimately all wars being eliminationism and genocide.

Non-limited warfare begets insurgency, which in turn creates a system wherein there exist no illegitimate targets.

The cost of "freedom" is being a political actor and therefore a valid military target, democracy boosters won't explain this to you.