When Fairclough first published Language and Power over a decade ago, globalization was not the buzzword that it is today.

However, many of the basic underlying principles that were contained in the author's original edition remain valid and relevant. Mainly, Fairclough's assessment of the relationship between language and power becomes even more apparent in light of globalization. The addendum to the new edition of Language and Power treats globalization as an issue that extends and builds upon Fairclough's original thesis.

The discourse of globalization also works to suppress alternative voices and impose a set of beliefs and values on the subordinate social groups. Those who benefit least from globalization: the already poor masses of people throughout most of the world as well as women and non-whites, can become easily subsumed by the discourse of globalization and by the globalization of discourse. As Fairclough points out, the supporters of globalization point out the "huge capacity for wealth creation," whereas those against globalization draw attention to the increasing gap between rich and poor (p. 204). The language used by both sides is a key to affecting change. Politicians who wax poetic about the potential benefits of globalization will not refer to the environmental or social impacts of world trade, whereas anti-globalization activists will.

Fairclough would have bolstered his critical discourse analysis on globalization by a more thorough explication of the knowledge-based society. For example, the persons who control language invariably control power, especially in the global economy. When information replaces manufactured goods as the commodity of choice in the global economy, having power over knowledge, information, and language becomes key. Corporations that specialize in knowledge and the dissemination of information are therefore in a unique position to affect social change and create discourses of resistance. Although the author refers to the significance of information in the new global economy, Fairclough could have discussed the potential of information technology to serve as a primary vehicle for resistance. Still, the book and its new addendums offer much food for thought and beg for a more media literate society.

The major principles of globalization include corporate control and the triumph of big business over government or national sovereignty. For example, governments around the world have dramatically altered legislation in a way that fosters globalization such as the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The consequences of globalization-friendly legislation include shifts in the ways people view the world and the ways people communicate. In other words, globalization affects discourse. People in Finland discuss American politics and ideas in words familiar to the global culture such as, as Fairclough points out, words like "flexibility" and "teamwork." Another consequence is the marketing of goods and services across many borders, thereby reducing the impact of local economies and increasing the power of the multinational corporations. The globalization of discourse means mass marketing of goods that are manufactured and sold by major multinationals and the worldwide

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Approximate Word count = 2102
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)