Anyone close to the US security establishment recognizes the widespread abuse of the classification system. It becomes the default stance, to slap a “SECRET” designation on something. Just like how, in the old days, “nobody ever got fired for buying IBM,” today we nights say “nobody ever got reprimanded for classifying documents.”

When the classification system balloons like this, inevitably the number of people with access rises as well. And, the seriousness with which they regard classification plummets.