Communists and Capitalists in the Things They Carried The Vietnam War was directly linked to the Cold War, where the Communists and Capitalists used balance of power politics to maintain the power other than dominating the world. However, there was a role reversal among the soldiers fighting for the capitalists and democracy. Many soldiers made agreements with each other, who were essentially communists, stating that if one was injured or seriously injured, their "friend" would end the soldier's suffering by killing him. This is seen in "Enemies" and "Friends". "Enemies" and "Friends" tell the story of two soldiers who initially don't get along, but over the course of the war they form a bond that lasts even after death. In the opening sentence O'Brien says, "Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen had a fist fight."(62) This way he shows the high tension of the whole war. Friction and animosity are evident between the USSR and the USA and between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, but showing the tension within the same military shows how drastic it is...