Wednesday items: Domitrovic on Reagan's deficit and growth record; Woodhill notes the impact of tax increases on Britain; Moore debates soak the rich.

From Forbes, Brian Domitrovic argues that although President Reagan’s tax increases after 1982 were a mistake, the effect of the 1981-83 marginal rate cuts, plus deregulation, plus plummeting inflation, enabled the historic expansion and increased federal revenue.

At Forbes, Louis Woodhill cites Britain’s current economic mess as proof that raising taxes to solve budget deficits doesn’t work.

On The Kudlow Report, Stephen Moore debates soak the rich rhetoric:




At RCM, Steve Hanke suggests that Europe’s heightened capital-asset requirements are responsible for economic and financial weakness.

On NRO, Larry Kudlow argues the Gang of Six plan is pro growth and worth considering.

IBD features part 2 of Thomas Sowell’s Senate testimony on taxes, focused on Andrew Mellon.

On Kudlow, David Goldman and Dan Mitchell discuss the US credit rating:




At TGSN, Ralph Benko argues the new monetarism requires focus on monetary quality, not quantity.

On his blog, former George W. Bush Secretary official John B. Taylor explains he is a New Keynesian but opposes key elements of Old Keynesianism.

From First Trust, Brian Wesbury predicts stronger growth in the second half of the year.

At TGSN, Lew Lehrman explains that the gold standard is a yardstick:




Bloomberg suggests Starve the Beast is discredited.

Boudreaux.

Don Boudreaux, Economics Department Chairman at George Mason University in northern Virgina, has a good letter to The New York Times in response to Paul Krugman's recent "starve the beast" commentary.

Thursday round up.

Brian Domitrovic provides historical context to point out why critics can't say supply-side economics failed to eliminate deficits and failed to starve the beast.

Alan Reynolds says "Hello Supply Side" (h/t: Brian Domitrovic).

David P. Goldman provides a fascinating analysis of the current crisis by comparing Robert Mundell's economic model to the Keynesian framework.

Steve Forbes argues the euro is worth keeping, and would be better fixed to gold.

John Tamny connects supply-side tax cuts to Ayn Rand's idea of producers "shrugging."