Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-72.74.78.209-20141019230536/@comment-72.74.78.185-20141109174148

Good points.

Ultimately, it comes down to one simple question. A second Great War is coming, as the Thalmor call the first one "the first war with the empire". We know that both factions are infinitely better that the Thalmor, and i would rather see Alduin destroy Nirn than see them conquer all of Tamriel. But can the empire defend itself, or is it weakening just like Ulfric says. The empire has had 25 years to recover from the war, and they haven't. The dominion controls the emperor, the elder council, the high kings and all of the Jarls, counts and other officials. They have embassies throughout the empire where they can get away with torturing, butchering, kidnapping and experimenting on innocent people. The empire is more militarily weak than ever before. There is absolutely no question that they cannot win another war against the dominion regardless of weather or not they win the civil war in Skyrim. Either way they lose tons of troops that could be used to fight the Thalmor. It's just sad knowing that the empire that existed in the days of Oblivion and Morrawind is no more, replaced by a puppet state that grows weaker every day.

As for the whole "racism" thing. Racism has existed in Skyrim long before Ulfric was born. From the return of Ysgramor, to the invasions of Morrawind, to the events of ESO. Even the wolf queen was pretty racist. It's just a sad, sad cycle of never ending hatred. This ideology became associated with the Stormcloaks not because they want to kick out all of the elves in Skyrim but because some (not all) of them have seen elves as the enemy for so long that they are afraid of them. That's all racism is really... Fear.