Who controls the foreign policy of the West, or certainly the Anglosphere? In a broad sense, the United States.
Who controls US foreign policy? The Foreign Policy Elite.
What is the US Foreign Policy Elite? Let us call it the Deep State.
Does the Deep State control American politics? Yes.
What happens when a President defies the Deep State? He is killed. They give him the “Kennedy Treatment.” The “Kennedy Treatment” is a warning to any Presidents who defy the Deep State.
How does the US media figure into this? The media is controlled by the Deep State. Many US reporters actually work for the CIA. The foreign policy views of the US media are the views of the Deep State.
Is the US media a controlled propaganda system? In terms of foreign policy, it is. The US media is not that different from the Soviet Union when you had many papers, magazines, TV and radio stations all saying the same thing.
Is there is a dissident or opposition press in the US? Since all major US media is controlled by the Deep State, the answer is no. An opposition press exists, but they do not control any large US papers or newsmagazines and they do not run any large US TV or radio news shows. US opposition press is relegated to the margins. One has to actively seek it out and often spend money to partake of it, and most folks don’t bother. For all intents and purposes, the US opposition is worthless since it is impotent and irrelevant.
Who controls the foreign policy of both the Democratic and Republican Parties? The Deep State.
Is there divergence of opinion in the Deep State? Not really. The goals are same among all factions; they only differ on the means. They range from somewhat hawkish to extremely hawkish. Two factions are the Neocons and the Realists (the Old School). They do not differ as much as you think, mostly in means, not ends.
Are the owners of large US media part of the Deep State? Yes.
Are most Washington DC stink tanks part of the Deep State? Yes, and their ideological differences are not large.
How does corporate American fit into all of this? In a sense, the Deep State works for the US rich and large corporations. US foreign policy is the foreign policy of the US rich and huge corporations.
What is the Pentagon? The Pentagon is simply the military force of huge corporations, banks and the rich. Those are only people they fight for? Any working class person who signs up for this mercenary army is a fool.
Is the Pentagon part of the Deep State? Yes. Believe it or not, the military is actually one of the saner members of this group. The real crazies in the Deep State are the civilians, not the brass. The neocon chickenhawks are the worst.
How does the US 1% fit into all of this? The 1% actually control the Deep State. US foreign policy is simply the foreign policy of the 1%. The Pentagon is the armed force of the 1%. US foreign policy really boils down to what the 1% want. If the 1% want it, it gets done. In a sense, the Deep State itself is just following orders.
