AP Photo

While I have a relatively jaundiced view of economists these days, it struck me that what Myanmar really needed now was not more democracy activists but some competent economists like the Berkeley mafia that advised Indonesia. The country’s needs are incredible in virtually every sphere. There is no banking system, to begin with; all transactions have to be carried out in cash and foreigners are advised to enter the country with crisp American bills with which to settle their accounts. Outside of Naypyidaw, the country’s infrastructure is crumbing; it is hard to move goods across the border, and electricity is highly irregular outside of the monsoon season. There is a tremendous shortage of human capital as a result of the country’s isolation: among other things, Burma stopped...