Menachem, it wasn’t in the 80s that the god-in-a-body stuff became an issue; the chazon ish said it was avodah zara in the 50s.
Being called names of Hashem is not controversial; it’s like the king putting his crown on you as a symbol. There are other explanations. Same with the osios. No one is saying that the rebbe is Hashem.
Tzadikim can be rofeh cholim and mechayeh meisim; what’s your point? We still don’t daven to them or thibk that they can do so independently.
The zohar is obviously interpreted, as is chelek eloka mimaal; a jew isn’t god; they have a godly soul. Like a spark from a flame.
However the Lubavitcher rebbe wrote that one can pray at the kever of a tzadik because he is praying to god, because the tzadik os god wrapped in a body. Not much room for reinterpretation or allegorizing; he’s qualifying a halachik issue by saying that the rebbe is god, so you can pray to him.
There’s a huge difference between that elongated piece and the quotes you mentioned, which all refer to status and chashivus.