Which side? Well, I'm living in the colonies, so the Rebel alliance makes sense to me. Although this is Vinland, in my mind, an Icelandic colony, lol. Why do Stormtroopers wear armor? Well, it is cool (or menacing, take your pick). By wearing the helmet, there is no face to identify with, so there is no individual to focus hate on. Which is why stormtroopers are known by registration numbers, like TK421, and not names. The armor is as effective as medeival armor at stopping gattling gun rounds, which is not much at all. Why are the stormtroopers such lousy shots. So the good guys can win. Whether that reflects ideology, training or something else, I don't know, but George Lucas clearly brakes the rules so the good guys can win.