It is impossible to give a definitive answer to this question.
individual people do things for unique purposes. Some people are true
believers. Others are more pragmatic, they're trying to survive and
prosper. It is possible, however, to make some likely conclusions based
on organizational needs.
Organizations are much like individuals. Once born, they don't want
to die. People, however, don't have to justify their existence to
anyone. They just have to make a living; and all will eventually die.
An organization will survive as long as it is supported. It doesn't
have to die. It does have to justify its existence.
The United States has evolved into a government of agencies. Each
was formed to cure some perceived crisis, real or not. If you were
hired to build a fence to contain somebody's livestock, but also knew
you'd be killed when the job was complete, would you ever finish the
job? As soon as any government agency is formed, it begins looking for
ways to never finish the job. The fence will need maintenance, of
course. And maybe the critters should have individual corrals. Pretty
soon, bolstered by panic-inspired legislation, the employee is telling
the employer what to do.
Farmers have been targeted because most of the real crises have been
solved despite government intrusions. DNR, PCA, EPA, etc., all have to
justify their existences in a time when, if the truth be known, they
can't. The well-paid employees of these agencies must believe fiction,
or live a lie.
Farmers have become a choice target for a variety of reasons.