Cyprus can, so why can't Greece?

Every visit to Cyprus is like a punch to the gut to me, because it reminds me of what Greece could be like if it was free of its hang-ups.

Take education, for example. With the consensus of the left, Cyprus established private universities, some of which are quite exemplary, resembling good European and American institutions, and making significant strides. Today, thousands of Greeks are studying in Cyprus, along with young people from China, the Middle East and Russia. Cyprus's private universities generate hundreds of jobs and boost the economy.

Over the past 20 years, many major foreign universities have wanted to do something similar in Greece, but to no avail. A golden opportunity was lost when Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was prevented from amending Article 16 of the Constitution and now Greece is littered with dozens of colleges of negligible quality, with...