It's a number of things, but I think it's mostly "Manipulation for personal gain by a small minority", your fourth suggestion.

Gosh, Amos! You now seem to be preaching the very gospel you have so long been upbraiding me for preaching. ;-) If I may quote from the first post in your thread:

"The slippery slope referred to is the creeping onset of group-think, double-talk, corporatocrocy and near-fascism that has marked our decline in the US over the last 40 years."

Well, yeah! THAT's what I've been saying. I'm so glad to see you coming forward hesitantly out of the shallows of de Nile, shaking the water and muck off your boots, and finally admitting that, yes, corporatocracy and near-fascism is destroying your onetime democracy.

Welcome to the club, pardner. ;-) If you need to seek refugee status, I'll help you get into Canada. You can live in the little smokehouse where we do up the back bacon. It's in the backyard, and it's only 5 feet away from the outhouse (very handy!) and 15 feet from the swamp where you can swim in July-August when the snow finally stops, and you will have very little trouble with the bears. Very little. In fact, forget I even said that part about the bears.

Be warned, though. Canada is really just a branch plant of your corporatocracy. They haven't fucked things up here nearly as badly YET as they have where you are, but they're certainly working on it. Just give 'em time, eh?