While the U.S. has been bogged down in what seems like endless combat in Iraq, China has implemented aggressive "resource diplomacy" in Africa. By funding the construction of railroads, school, clinics, roads and other key infrastructure needs, the Chinese have achieved access to invaluable natural resources to support their growing energy and development needs. Meanwhile, America’s lack of engagement has opened the door for the Chinese to proceed full steam ahead. In years to come, we may pay dearly for ignoring the energy and material rich continent of Africa.

So what is America's first response to this juggernut of “resource diplomacy” by the Chinese? Well, of course, instead of new policies and giving the governments of this continent choices, we decide to reorganize our military. America has created Africom by reorganizing three other military structures, including Central Command, European Command and Pacific Command, which all had operations in Africa. African operations will now be coordinated by a central Africom Command under General William Ward (see photograph). Since no Africa nation has agreed to house the new command’s headquarters, it’s based in Stuttgart, Germany. Clearly, it’s not off to a great start.

America's future could be in Africa. No one can argue that lessening our dependence on Middle East oil would be a good thing. Even if we drilled everywhere in America, it would only meet about 3 percent of our needs. There are huge and undeveloped fields of oil in Nigeria, the Congo, Angola, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea. Together, they rival the Middle East and certainly equal the production that could come out of Iraq. However, the Chinese are starting to run circles around us in nailing down contracts to develop and extract these resources. The continent is also rich with all sorts of valuable and critical metals and raw materials.

The BBC said that the new Africom Command was created by Washington to fight terrorists (especially in the horn of Africa), to secure oil supplies and to counter China's growing influence in Africa. It seems to me that we might better compete with the Chinese by building roads, schools, clinics and transportation, and encouraging economic and political development.

Is that asking too much of Washington?