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"Please define communism and socialism and then show how Putin's actions are taking Russia into that direction. Please define republicanism vs autocracy and capitalism."

I know the general meaning of these terms and what communism was and what it meant to the people of Russia in the 20th century. I know what socialism is to the people of China in the 20th century. Call it whatever you want, it all boils down a country being ruled by one guy who can do whatever he wants and that almost always turns out bad.

Actually Italy had similar issues with corruption,mafia, re: local leaders and went to the same system Putin is proposing, appointment and strong centralized leadership. It worked for them. Putin may be hoping it works for Russia as well.

It looks to me as if Italy was his model in making the recent choices for change.

Additionally be aware that only 2/3 of the regional governors/leaders are affected by the changes Putin is proposing, so that Moscow for instance, is not affected and will vote for their regional head.

Most Americans are freaking out about this and calling it a power grab, but when you look closely at it, it is simply an approach to ridding Russia of corruption which has worked in another country.

Russia was voted by some council or other as being among the top 3 countries with extensive corruption among leadership, next to Mozambique, and as the top country with leaders most likely to accept a bribe. Last year or the year before....so change is needed.

That's the point, what you describe is a dictatorship or absolute monarchy. Actually, during the Soviet times, the only one who did what he wished was Stalin. After that, the Poltiburo held a lot of power to make sure no one got to upity. Khruschov did and they ended his career. The follow on leadership (except for Gorbachov) were so decrepit that they all just died soon after (except for the statist Breznov who did exactly what the Politburo wanted: he ended Khruschov's reforms and reinstated their privilages).

Communism is economic, Marxist-Communism (Bolshavism) is a communist centralized economy, while Menshavik-Communist is a decentralized communism of people's councils and small factories. Both types of Russian communism were about the factory and city. Maoist Communism was about the peasants not the city and was also more peasant culture based against the educated (Mao's Great Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward). There are other varients of course. But Communism is not dictatoriship, it is an economic/cultural system that leans closest to autocracy and dictatorship.

Capitalism is not necessary a republican government, though it leans well with one. Dictatorships in Chile, Argentina, facists in Spain, Italy, Greece all were capitalists.

That is my point, people throw around terms like dictator and communist interchangeably but they are not. True Putin might become a dictator or a heriditery dictator (monarch) but the economy is and will remain capitalist, that's no doubt. But even capitalism comes in many flavors: State Capitalism: most of latin america, Socialist Capitalism: EU, Corporate Capitalism: Japan/China, State Capitalism can also be found in places like Arkenssa or Mississipi (where the governors hold a lot of power over local business) while the US is mostly Lazi-Farre, though it is becoming increasingly Socialist Capitalism.