Maybe that's the NSA's real fear about Snowden: that his whistle blowing may allow the NSA's own employees to see a bigger picture, past the "need to know", and

Maybe that's the NSA's real fear about Snowden: that his whistle blowing may allow the NSA's own employees to see a bigger picture, past the "need to know", and that employees might realise that they are part of illegal activities, resulting in a revolt from within?