How about some creative speculation..

[sendero]

.... there is mounting evidence that there is some information in the Snowden treasure trove that the NSA really, really, REALLY does NOT want made public.

I won't go into detail but anyone paying attention has noticed this is the case, not coming from one source or comment but several.

So, assuming that is true leaves one wondering. What could that information be? What possible facts could they want hidden so very very badly?

Well, lets dispense with the idea that is is related to terror plots or the like right out of hand. The NSA still claims they have thwarted 50 but more reliable sources place that at one or maybe two. In any event until they prove it I put the number at zero.

Now, what would an organization of rogue operators want to keep hidden? Well I'm betting it is something that would EMBARRASS THEM or REVEAL WRONGDOING ON A SCALE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SO EASILY DOWNPLAY and CONTAIN THE OUTRAGE.

Remember, organizations like this are not in business to serve, they are in business to survive and grow. Any more bad press threatens that in a serious way.

Now, I have my ideas but this place is not ready for that So what are yours?

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

1. It seems this genie really is out of the bottle.

There is no way to put it back, to change anything at this point. Life, reality, as we have known it is truly changed. The technology can't be altered. It raises a larger question, what can we do at this point?

[CJCRANE]

2. They're hiding the true identity

of Santa Claus.

[HereSince1628]

3. Spying works best when it is unexpected and undetected

The big revelation so far is that the US conducts electronic surveillance on a massive scale around the globe with the assistance of many governments. (that isn't a news flash, this went on 40 years ago when I was in one of the several military subsdiaries. )

Surveillance agencies want their activity hidden and unknown so that the folks being watched don't take actions to complicate or frustrate the surveillance.

While there could be something, there needs be nothing more significant than that to get the NSA and all the other security types to push for an end to the poking around in -their- business.

[Laelth]

4. I agree with your basic assumption.

The NSA wants to hide something big (or several big somethings). What they want to hide, however, remains a mystery to me.

-Laelth

[fadedrose]

5. My favorite candidate for secret stuff

is ufo's, et's, etc.

People are so indoctrinated against believing for fear of being thought insane or worse that they don't dare even ask the government for truth in this area anymore. Speaking of areas, how about Obama and Shirley MacClaine?

We're getting close, maybe, to Snowden's secret, and the speech writers were clued to make a joke of it. Nothing is by accident, except droning weddings.

[RC]

6. Maybe it has something to do with who was in the room with Barack Obama and the subjects brought up,

shortly after Obama was sworn in, that would explain the difference between Obama's campaign promises and his Presidenting.
If that wasn't a 180°, it was close.

[fadedrose]

8. Who was in the room anyway?

[RC]

9. Maybe Greenwald will let us know in due time.

[solarhydrocan]

7. maybe providing recordings that lead to high level blackmail

or industrial sabotage/ secret swapping

Of course they weren't ever interested in how many times Average Joe sexted his new girlfriend.

A new fuel injection device that doubled mileage? Justice Roberts caught in some compromising moments with his poodle? A whole different story

[starroute]

11. Blackmail is certainly always the flipside of surveillance

I doubt it would be directed against US politicians, though, if only because they're already well under control.

Foreign leaders would be the most probable targets -- and the most likely to lead to uncontrollable global scandal if it came out.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

10. Mundane intel stuff

Human sources in various countries, other methods used, whether or not they broke some code some country uses to send msgs. Snowden seems to have vacuumed up all kinds of things. The NWO and BFEE (did I spell that right?) and the Bilderbergers and the aliens about to attack us with whatever aliens attack us with (ray guns? weird andromeda strains?) are probably all safe, cuz, you know, they always are. No one touches those guys...