You say a lot for not giving any examples.

Ulfric isn't a bad guy in the sense that he is evil as the Thalmor are, but at best his before and after imaginative of Skyrim is most gratitude to his position. Before the rebellion he was a Jarl of arguably the 2nd or 3rd most important city who answered to a King who in turn had representatives in the Empire, whilst after his rebellion he would be High King, and the ultimate authority in the land. It's just a classic power grab, population gets pissed at X issue, a leader arises promising them freedom from said issue, and implants himself on top of the political map at their toil.

How does the Thalmor not mater? They are who caused the entire issue in a deliberate attempt to weaken the Kingdoms of men in preparation for their conquest and subjugation. Ulfric is leading his stormcloaks right into the Thalmor trap, and because Skyrim is an province in the Empire, the Imperials sent assistance to try and stop him. No one profits from the siutation but the Thalmor who openly wage a war in everything but name against the provinces.

Just like the Medes, the Septims and the Tribunal. You can't say that Ulfric is bad because of one thing whilst the side your arguing for did the exact same thing.

Ulfric is a Thalmor tool, not really an agent. They WANT the civil war. The reason is obvious it, weakens the Empire. The reason they do not want Ulfric to win is because if he does the war stops and the Empire consolidates and is stronger becuase it is not dealing with a civil war. The Thalmor will do whatever it takes to keep the war going.

Sort of like the first Mede did when he took over the empire? He was just a Colovian warlord. He stepped into a confused political landscape, beat some people down, and did so decisively enough to take power. That's how it works, at least when civil institutions have broken down. The same is true in Skryim. People no longer have confidence in the civil institutions to settle leadership, so it becomes a question of arms.

It doesn't matter because both sides consider the question of who's in charge important enough that they are willing to take up arms to settle it. People saying "the Stormcloak rebellion helps the Thalmor" are begging the question. From Stormcloak perspective, the empire has capitulated to the Thalmor and effectively are in cahoots with them now, so the fight for independence is the fight against the Dominion- and a matter of survival.

Considering that Ulfric's goal is to kick the Thalmors out and reinstate Talos legitimacy then no, he's not one of their agents. His current war with the empire is serving their purpose and so his actions are favorable to them as long as Skyrim isn't focused on the Thalmor "occupation". Once the war ends, that focus will shift. If Ulfric is in charge then it will be in battle against the Thalmor (so again, not an agent), if the Empire is still in charge then tolerance may remain until the empire has its fill of it.

Lyn's explanation is clear on this, Ulfric is not lying about what he wants. Again, it is the current existence of the civil war that they feel is in their best interest. Not either side winning.

You are assuming Ulfric isn't aware of it. On what in-game evidence do you base that assumption? I've always assumed he is aware of it, and believes that in the long run the advantages to Skryim of achieving independence will outweigh whatever short term advantage the Thalmor hope to gain from the process of achieving it.

That's kind of my point, Imperial supporters argue that the Empire knows what it's doing by waiting all these years, by essentially playing into the Thalmor's hands every step of the way, because they have A Plan and the results of it will somehow negate the advantages they've given the Dominion in the meantime, and that's what makes the Imperial side "right" or "better." But somehow it's impossible to even conceive of the possibility that Ulfric feels the exact same way about *his* plan, or even has one.

Secondly, you'll have to point out exactly where Ulfric attacked the Empire. Ulfric challenged the High King and won, and since Torygg agreed to the duel it can hardly be called an attack. AFAIK hostilities began when the Empire, Elisif, and half of the other Jarls refused to recognize the challenge as legitimate and branded Ulfric a murderer instead and the Legion arrived to 1) apprehend and execute him and 2) prevent him from gaining any more territory and/or support within Skyrim. It's not like he formed an army and invaded Cyrodiil, or went out and laid waste to an Imperial garrison. The territory he's got at the beginning of the game was not won through attacking Imperial forces and taking it from them, as far as I can tell it's Stormcloak territory because the Jarls already in power there chose to have it that way.

Go read the WGC and see if you can figure it out. Don't worry, there's no math involved.

They dissapear from Skyrim after yyou win with the Stormcloaks, although they do want to weaken the empire. Interesting question, sure Bethesda wont leave it unanswered