Well, not to worry. I need information instead of trying to start an argument.

First off, I have TRIED several times to complete the Stormcloaks quest! I can't freaking finish it! It keeps getting glitched on me! D:

First attempt I attacked the weapons smugglers and tried to speak to Ralof, and he just kept telling me a bunch of random stuff like "Don't you wish the Stormcloaks and Imperials could just call it a truce?" I left him there and returned several days later, nothing!

Second attempt I went to the Stormcloak camp to talk to whats-his-face and he was giving me the same thing! This was shortly after I obtained the Jagged crown.

Anybody else run into this problem? Know how to fix it? I attacked them, but that just made them angry.

Secondly, Stormcloaks seem to be dirty and drink booze all the time. I hear the crime has gone up, and that fights are going on in the city, and you have a bunch of guards getting drunk and brawling in the inns. (This is just what I hear in rumors, not actually seeing it)

Now my question is, are the cities safer and have more disciplined guards? Or am I just running into another problem? What worries me most is the fact that the Thalmor have the Imperials by the balls, and it just seems to me like everybody is under a tyrannical rule.

I joined the Empire. I have seen Windhelm. I have seen the prejudice that Ulfric and many of his boys spread. Racism is bad as any so-called tyranny. The Empire aren't Tyrants.

You're caught between a rock and a hard place.

Choose Ulfric, and you weaken the empire (stregthening the Thalmor), cause hate against non-nords to rise, and (as nords will be nords) guards becoming less disciplined. If the Thalmor push early, Skyrim will be unable to defend itself (as it needs to rebuild after the Civil War) and may be turned into little more than warring city-states.

Choose the Empire, and you ban the worship of Talos (streghtening the Thalmor, and can cause an End-of-the-world situation.) Guards will be more disciplined, but there will likely still be skirmishes from diehard Stormcloak supporters, and Skyrim's resorcues will continue to dwindle to support the Empire's wars.

Pretty much... no matter what you do, Skyrim loses out on some level, and the Thalmor's side grows stronger.