The whole point of the Imperial/Stormcloak plot is the "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario. Both sides feel their view is the right one, and both sides are equally dickish in certain aspects.
Evil Top Hat said:
1) The White-Gold concordat will surely be broken soon, and it will not be long before war with the Ald'meri Dominion resurfaces. If the Stormcloaks take hold of Skyrim, how can they even hope to defend themselves? The Ald'meri Dominion are an incredibly powerful force, how is a team of rag tag rebels ever going to defend Skyrim, especially after having just emerged from such a costly war?
The Stormcloaks are't rag-tag. They fight like Nords: a mobile army that controls the open country-side. Such armies were common centuries ago in Norse and Scottish lands. Skyrim also has a long history of fighting elves, both in defense and offense. Consider if the Stormcloak invade Aldmeri lands? They will swiftly find allies with the Bosmer and Redguard, who have suffered at the Aldmeri's hands. The Empire will likely pounce on this opportunity to push into Valenwood, and the Aldmeri will suddenly be fighting a three-front war that will tear it apart.
2) Ulfric Stormcloak cannot run Skyrim. Have you seen Windhelm? The place is a total mess. The entire place is more like a stony slum than a city. The streets are filth ridden and the people are starving. Riften is even worse, the guard know exactly where the thieves guild are hiding, but apparently Ulfric doesn't want to waste reinforcements. He can't even manage his section of Skyrim well enough to eradicate a group of pick pockets. How will he ever run an entire continent of Tamriel?
Ulfric seems more than capable of running a nation from my perspective. Windhelm looks like a "stony slum" becaues it's an ancient city - one of mankind's oldest - and is going to look weathered no matter how well it's maintained. I dunno where these starving people you mention are, maybe the Dunmer? Riften is pretty much controlled by Maven Black-Briar and the Thieves Guild, I'm guessing Ulfric has made a political alliance with her, and Maven in turn manipulates the Jarl into favoring Ulfric. Also consider that the Thieves Guild is in major decline in Riften at the start of the game, and I would say that "eradicating a group of pick pockts" doesn't measure highly on a future king's resume when he's got a country to overthrow.
3) Ulfric is a total manchild, and only cares about power. Main story spoilers coming up.
I'm not sure where you got this from. I've played through the Stormcloak plotline and I've seen him be honest, passionate, humble, honourable, cunning, compassionate, and determined. Maybe he does crave power but he honestly believes he is doing the right thing for his country and believes in his people as much as himself.
4) Last, but not least, the Stormcloaks are racist nationalists, that think the fact that they are the "correct" race means that they should be allowed Skyrim, and that other races should not have authority or power, because they aren't the right race. Homeland or no homeland, these guys are basically the Skyrim equivalent of the BNP.
This is debatable. Yes, the Stormcloaks are all Nords (unless the Dragonborn joins them and is another race), but they don't seem to have a real issue with anyone but the Empire and the Talmor. Keep in mind that the Nords have always been an aggressive people, who have invaded and conquered lands in Cyrodill and Morrowind in the past. But unlike say, the Talmor, they haven't committed the acts of genocide or ethnic cleansing typical of a racially-motivated invading force.
A Nord is a Nord, and they take a fierce pride in their harsh homeland and the strength it gives them. The same is true for every race in The Elder Scrolls - each takes pride it themselves. If you went to Hammerfell and got involved with the Redguard rebels fighting the Aldmeri, you'd likely see similar pride, and we saw it in the Dunmer in
Morrowind. And in that game the Dunmer were resisting Imperial encroachment on their homeland and the drastic transformation of their religion. Seeing a pattern?
Ultimately I don't believe Skyrim intends to stand alone under Ulfric. He's too clever to do something like that - he will make alliances. With Valenwood, with Hammerfell, and maybe even with the Empire. He'll do it because "Skyrim/Empire alliance" will lend strength to Skyrim's solidarity - it will make them look like a sovereign power, not just an Imperial Province.
And with those alliances the Skyrim will make their invasion of the Summerset Isles - a goal hinted at quite often by Ulfric's general Stone-Fist - all the more potent.
