If you really come down to it, no side is perfect. 
The Stormcloaks are rasist bullies and the Imperials are wimpy tools
But over all I stand on the side of the Imperials, pretty much all the imperials bad choices are made becasuse they do not want conflict with the Aldmeri Dominion, which I find understandable. But the Stormcloaks are just kinda lead by a slefish ingnorant person who only wants Skyrim to be for Nords....Hes just pretty much rasist. 
So yes, both sides have pros and cons but in my opinion, The Imperials heavly out weight the Stormcloaks when you really look at them.

The Empire AND Skyrim would have both lost in the Great War if the didn't sign that treaty. The Empire did what was right. The Stormcloaks hate the Dominion and I get that but they're fighting the wrong people. Ulfric wants to be high king. That's his goal. He also wants the Dominion out of Skyrim but he's too head strong to realise that if he wins the Empire won't be there to protect them. They also will be weakend from the civil war so the Dominion can and will march right into Skyrim. Plain and simple. A united Empire has a much stronger chance of defeating the Dominion than a bunch of Nords with no one to back them up because they're all racist. Hell! The forces of the Empire are being run by a Breton! The Stormcloaks and all of Skyrim need to beat fire with fire. The Thalmor specialize in magic. If Dunmer weren't so prosecuted the would help with the fight against the Thalmor. Along with the Bretons and anyone else who is a mage. But no! Nobody trusts magic! The Empire accepts all races and would stand a so much better chance united! The Nords are the strongest warriors in Tamriel but brute force won't be enough when there is fire shooting at your face! The Empire and the Stormcloaks shouldn't even be fighting at all! The should be preparing for the next Thalmor invasion! We all know it's coming. The Thalmor are probably gathering forces and recuting new members and Azura knows what else while the rebellion is setting themselves and the Empire up to be taken over. Having Skyrim's support for what little Empire there is stand a better chance against the Dominion.

i choose the stormcloaks since im playing as a nord, since by the dark of oblivion skyrim is the homeland of the nords. But I am playing an orc for once too but hes gonna go for imperial since, somehow when I was doing the missions I somehow couldn't get the achivement for takening over one of the towers or whatever it is for the achivement is.

paarthurnax

It's obviously a difficult choice, and there's no right or wrong answer.  Part of me feels Skyrim should rule itself, but that the Stormcloaks aren't the right way to go about doing that, considering their racism (particularly against the Dunmer, who don't have a home to go back to).  I think the Stormcloaks forget that the Empire isn't the enemy, but the Thalmor, and the Empire has no love for them either.  A unified Empire may be the only thing that could keep the Thalmor at bay if a second Great War occurred, which I don't think it will with all the provinces in rebellion or disarray.

 I agree with Paarthurnax, there is many good and bad things about either side. For example, if the empire wins, Maven black briar becomes jarl of riften and she is corrupt. on the other hand the jarl of dawnstar is a war hungry mutt who lost sight of his people a while ago. Displacing the jarl in dawnstar is refreshing and i enjoy it, displacing the jarl in riften saddened me. she wants whats best for her people and is willing to stand against the Empire/thalmor, but the only help she gets is from Jarl Ulfric, whom she has a difference of moral opinions with. The best thing that could happen is if you could take over the Stormcloaks or Imperial forces in Skyrim and Decide the fate of the land there. The jarl of Solitude, the future high queen if you fight for the empire, is not a good ruler at all. Falk Firebeard and Jarl Balgruuf would make better Rulers of skyrim. but alas, neither one is a choice. i Dislike certain parts of both sides and if the faction choices where more diverse and varied within that faction, i might choose the stormcloaks. they have the better ideals, but their leader is not the best in my humble opinion. i have put much thought into this, so this is my long winded opinion.

LeFork

The Empire AND Skyrim would have both lost in the Great War if the didn't sign that treaty. The Empire did what was right. The Stormcloaks hate the Dominion and I get that but they're fighting the wrong people. Ulfric wants to be high king. That's his goal. He also wants the Dominion out of Skyrim but he's too head strong to realise that if he wins the Empire won't be there to protect them. They also will be weakend from the civil war so the Dominion can and will march right into Skyrim. Plain and simple. A united Empire has a much stronger chance of defeating the Dominion than a bunch of Nords with no one to back them up because they're all racist. Hell! The forces of the Empire are being run by a Breton! The Stormcloaks and all of Skyrim need to beat fire with fire. The Thalmor specialize in magic. If Dunmer weren't so prosecuted the would help with the fight against the Thalmor. Along with the Bretons and anyone else who is a mage. But no! Nobody trusts magic! The Empire accepts all races and would stand a so much better chance united! The Nords are the strongest warriors in Tamriel but brute force won't be enough when there is fire shooting at your face! The Empire and the Stormcloaks shouldn't even be fighting at all! The should be preparing for the next Thalmor invasion! We all know it's coming. The Thalmor are probably gathering forces and recuting new members and Azura knows what else while the rebellion is setting themselves and the Empire up to be taken over. Having Skyrim's support for what little Empire there is stand a better chance against the Dominion.

 The thalmor also brainwashed Ulfric slightly, making him so rascist. the seeds were there, they just acceraletted their growth. so, stormcloaks have good ideals, but are executing them wrong.

godofminecraft56

I am on Dragonborns side

 

Aal rok lahney fah alun ahrk doj suleyk do pah

Both sides are complete jerks in my opinion.  When doing the reunification of skyrim quest, Bethseda is asking you to choose sides with either jerk #1 or jerk #2. 

godofminecraft56

I am on Dragonborns side

 

Aal rok lahney fah alun ahrk doj suleyk do pah

I agree with you. Dovahkiin should be the ruler of Skyrim. If you listen to Malukah's covers on Skyrim (I am sure most people already have), she does a cover for Age of Oppression and Age of Aggression which points out things about both Stormcloaks and Imperials. After you listen to those covers, you will soon (probably like how I did also) find it hard to really choose the correct side to be on.

But I do have one question: Why choose a side when you could murder both Stormcloak and Imperial leaders?

The Stormcloaks fought for the good of Skyrim and won the Civil war if you choose them in the Game. The Empire were cowards when they banned Talos after the loss in The Great War against The Aldmeri Dominion. So I choose The Stormcloaks. It doesn't matter what side you choose The Aldmeri Elves are powerhungry dogs that wants to claim Tamriel as their own. A new war is coming after the Civil war no matter what and when it comes all proud defenders of Tamriel must stand together to defeat The Aldmeri Dominion once and for all. The Stormcloaks and The Empires must stand together to defeat the Aldmeri Elves.

The Civil War was The Aldmeris fault when they forced The Empire to ban Talos.

nojman96

The Stormcloaks fought for the good of Skyrim and won the Civil war if you choose them in the Game. The Empire were cowards when they banned Talos after the loss in The Great War against The Aldmeri Dominion. So I choose The Stormcloaks. It doesn't matter what side you choose The Aldmeri Elves are powerhungry dogs that wants to claim Tamriel as their own. A new war is coming after the Civil war no matter what and when it comes all proud defenders of Tamriel must stand together to defeat The Aldmeri Dominion once and for all. The Stormcloaks and The Empires must stand together to defeat the Aldmeri Elves.

The Civil War was The Aldmeris fault when they forced The Empire to ban Talos.

Honestly, I've always hated elves from any game/book/movie I've ever seen.  They are always so snoody and selfish about themselves, and it drives me crazy.  It was just pure irony that they happened to be so when playing Skyrim.  Of course I don't absolutly hate elves, and I like certain elvish characters.  Staying back on topic, I chose imperials. Why? Same reason as everyone else who joined the imperials.

The imperials were not cowards. They would have lost the Great War if  the treaty was not signed. The elves would have taken over the Empire and Skyrim if they didn't ban Talos worship. Also, the people of Skyrim secretly worshiped Talos in their homes anyway. People said that. If it wasn't for the Stormcloaks there wouldn't have been a civil war and Slyrim wouldn't have been weakend no matter who won. The Dominion is going to march into Skyrim after this anyway. The Stormcloaks won't have the Empire's support if they win. Skyrim would be better off if the Empire ruled over Skyrim when The Aldmeri Dominion comes marching into Skyrim.

While both sides have their pros and cons, I have to say I'm a Stormcloak girl through and through. Ulfric is right and is doing the right thing..... to an extent. While I believe the Empire should back out of Skyrim and let the Nords govern themselves, they should let all races within their borders. Some slight mistrust of the Elves is okay, but downright racism is unjustifiable. While the Imperials were pretty much stuck between a wall and a hard place, they lose my respect for giving in. I'm a very loyal and stubborn person, so I could never back down like that. I think it would probably be best if the Empire left Skyrim and Skyrim allied with Hammerfell. The Empire isn't the problem here, it's the Thalmor. Since Hammerfell is against the Dominion right now, if Skyrim were to ally with Hammerfell they could probably defeat the Dominion, which would be best for everyone. 

I joined the stormcloaks because at the start of the game general Tulius is going to have you exurcuted and I thought to myself "That man just tried to kill me. Stuff him I'm going to free Skyrim.

I recently helped out the Stormcloak's on my file and the last words of General Tullius are tear jerking, he say's something along the lines of " you fools they wanted this to happen, they wanted skyrim to be weak, and now it truly is " after he said this, i almost instantly regreted joining the Stormcloak's.

I initially sided with the Stormcloaks, but that is because I believed the Empire to be weak for submitting to the Thalmor demands (and they tried to kill me). The Imperials and Stormcloaks are both stubborn, the Imperials are submissive to the Thalmor, and the Stormcloacks are radical racists. There is really no right side and no winner in the war, except the Thalmor. Whoever the "winner", they will have to quickly unite to stand against the Dominion, the true enemy.

Stormcloaks... just because im rebelious like them...