A generation later and their children, David Cameron and Osborne, are handing Britain's nuclear future back to the public sector – of two foreign countries – and paying handsomely for the privilege.
China also recently partnered with Ubuntu creator Canonical to develop a China-specific open source operating system that seems in part designed to wean its IT sector off of foreign-developed software tools.
These include a widening of the franchise through promised local elections, the opening of the upstream oil sector to foreign firms, purging the state curriculum of incitement against non-Muslims, and recognising the Shia minority's rights.
The move comes as part of a series of fiscal changes initiated in September, including an increase in fuel prices and an opening of the retail sector to foreign investment.
The narrow exposure of Egypt's financial sector to foreign structured finance, coupled with a low reliance on foreign bank loans, sheltered the country.
Before 1971 governments ensured that rates were fixed, so the private sector was free of foreign exchange risk.
But in a country where trickle-down economics begins with tourism – one in five of the working population are dependent on the sector – the arrival of foreign visitors has brought relief.
In tandem with these developments, Malaysia has opened up the sector to foreign companies, allowing for 49% foreign ownership of Islamic banks.
And China's market share rose dramatically in important sectors of many foreign markets.
