Dave, thanks for the thoughtful reply.
The NSA said that the metadata database (also called “surveillance” by many people) was available to them but not used unless needed to track specific [and foreign] targets. I don’t think Snowden took this actual data. What I am referring to is the documents taken by Snowden that contained information about other programs, not the metadata program. Whatever sources of information was detailed in those documents (sources, not information) is now highly suspect if not out-and-out worthless. This most likely includes what you referred to as “older, cheaper, legal methods of espionage.” All gone or severely damaged.
At the risk of going down an analogy rabbit hole, this seems to me like disbanding a town’s police force because of an over-zealous SWAT team. Some people would no doubt cheer that the entire police force was gone. But a great many people would just like to see the SWAT team either fixed or terminated.
