It looks to be a landslide victory for the political opposition in Burma, which really means for Aung San Suu Kyi, affectionately known as “The Lady” among the Burmese. The United States, which has invested heavily in helping steer one of history’s most repressive military regimes towards democracy, gave its cautious thumbs up to Sunday’s general election. The top U.S. official for East Asia urged a “credible” transition of power. And therein lies the rub: how much real change can we expect? As one observer put it, the vote needs to be seen for what it truly is, “…a flawed, partial exercise in democracy that won’t lead to the profound changes that people would almost certainly vote for if only they were given the opportunity.”