My concern is similar to yours. By hacking and subverting everything, the NSA paved the way / "presented a picture of what was possible" to rogue foreign govern

My concern is similar to yours. By hacking and subverting everything, the NSA paved the way / "presented a picture of what was possible" to rogue foreign governments. The US was unprepared for this, and once it was realized, we couldn't even morally accuse them of wrong due to NSA past... I think US agencies have sort of realized this mistake now, and actually for the last couple of years. The former NSA directors have said some revealing comments that reflect pretty authentic looking doubt, shame, and guilt over the various pathways programs took (with the exception of perhaps Admiral John Poindexter). Perhaps agencies like the DHS, which when it was created was the largest reorganization of government since the Department of Defense was created in 1947, have not yet learned...