the more i think about the worldbuilding of revachol the more i feel like its odd that we don't hear about some natural resource in the ZoC being exploited. the coalition expends what seems like a lot of resources to keep Revachol West occupied.... to what end?
land grab? infamously no one really wants Revachol West, there are so many ruins, abandoned buildings, and real estate that nobody's really jumping to take advantage of in '51 (though DLC shows some of that changes with time)
the mineral rights mentioned by joyce? we don't hear about mining at all! coal is famously dead due to oil drilling
the offshore oil platforms? we have no info on where they are in the world
agricultural potential of le caillou? we don't know how much is within the ZoC, if in the Graadian zone it could very well be to their benefit.
the tax haven thing? i'm not the most literate on global finance but as far as im aware irl tax haven countries are not usually in such dire straits as revachol. surely a 45% literacy rate gets in the way of having enough finance people to run the tax haven.
politcal fear of communism? the general sentiment expressed by most people we meet in revachol is that communism is dead and there's no hope for revolution.
maybe... just fear or losing control, if all the things of value are already eaten up outside the ZoC, in the Graadian or Mesque zones? revachol west could then just be the leftover area devoid of value, and the population is subjugated to keep that power imbalance. not sure how that fits Revachol being the old crown jewel and capital of the world, but tonally it does feel very disco...
even if it's all outside the ZoC, i still think industries big enough to jusitfy occupation would be affecting the lives and culture of Revachol West in very tangible ways, especially if they can take advantage of cheap vacholiere labour.
