Quote 1
"Leave my kid brother alone, you hear! It ain't his fault he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault the Socs like to jump us, and if he had been good at carryin' a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him to ribbons. (1.61)
Soda has a point – Pony seems to be in an impossible situation in which every choice he makes is a wrong one. Whenever a powerful group is actively persecuting another less powerful group, you will find such dilemmas.
Quote 2
"I mean I can't take sides. It'd be a lot easier if I could be I see both sides. (12.51)
Pony and Darry learn what a terrible position they're putting Soda in, always asking him to choose between them. We can dominate people by the choices we ask them to make. If the choices aren't fair, somebody will get hurt.