Answering the question about sources:
1. Zdrov, "State Capitalism and Modernization in the USSR."
2. Zinoviev has many works, in particular "Catastroika," "The Collapse of Russian Communism."
3. Kagarlitsky, "Marxism. Not recommended for teaching."
4. Lenin, Collected Works.
5. Stalin, Collected Works.
6. World History, in particular volumes 9-13.
7. Numerous readily available sources online (if needed, I can provide specific links).
8. Materials from lectures on the history of the USSR by Doctors of Historical Sciences Kuznetsov, Isupov, and Solovyova.
And there's no need to refer to the Academy of Sciences; they recommend many things, including Sakharov (read him; his errors are at the level of a 5th-grade student). Statistical information is readily available; I base my main conclusions on it, rather than on monographs, each of which has its own biases.
Furthermore, I should mention that I specialize in a different period of history; the 20th century is a hobby. If you're interested, I can provide links to historians who specialize in this period.
I haven't read Kara-Murza, I confess.
And besides, there's no need to attribute things to me that I haven't said. I never claimed that everything was good in the USSR. There are plenty of critics without me; I only present alternative perspectives. If only praise were offered here, I would provide data on the shortcomings; I have that too.