Arbitrary Dilemma Fallacy

A fallacy, extremely common in politics, where one artificially restricts the range of available options to a false dilemma—typically presenting a limited set of choices as the only possibilities, when others exist. The most famous form is TINA (There Is No Alternative), where a particular policy or system is presented as inevitable because "there's no other choice." Another common form is lesser-evilism, where one is told to support a flawed option because the alternative is supposedly worse—without considering whether other alternatives exist or whether the framing itself is manipulative. "We have to accept this austerity because there's no alternative." "Vote for this corrupt candidate because the other one is even worse." "Support this imperfect policy because the opposition would be catastrophic." The fallacy lies in the arbitrariness of the dilemma: the options presented are treated as exhaustive when they're not, and the criteria for what counts as "worse" are assumed rather than argued. The dilemma is arbitrary because it's constructed to foreclose rather than enable genuine choice.

Example: "She argued that we had to accept the surveillance bill because 'the terrorists win otherwise'—Arbitrary Dilemma Fallacy, presenting a false choice between surveillance and security while ignoring the possibility of security without surveillance."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Arbitrage Reborn

Refers to an elusive, almost ghostly process where a connection is re-birthed between two entities, enabling a profitable arbitrage opportunity to be reborn. This phenomenon mimics a rebirth, as it revives a previously dormant or lost chance to exploit price differences across entities.

"I've just closed out an arbitrage reborn".

by Rivalry Reborn September 11, 2025

Arcite

the collest redjack in the tower

Wow that redjack Arcite is really cool standing next to Lord Shaxx

by arcite January 2, 2026

Traffic Arbitrage

A procedure undertaken in heavy traffic conditions whereby the subject (a driver) constantly switches lanes to beat the average traffic speed. Particularly important in US of A where the leftmost lane is always taken

Nathan: With this traffic, I won't make it to the airport in time unless I pull some moves off
Bobby, 10 minutes later: That was sick Traffic Arbitrage bro

by SharmaAndShawarma November 18, 2015

The arbitrated colors of a variegated disarray

Lemme guess, you're searching up vocaloid lyrics?

Grow up kid, "The arbitrated colors of a variegated disarray" is just a lyric from 'Aura' by Ghost.

by GCALKCA June 17, 2022

Sultan alpitre giji khan movva sinusoid

Another name for Movva Rohit Raj who is the biggest sinister in the whole college

Are you Sultan alpitre giji khan movva sinusoid?

by gijigaa May 28, 2022

alphabetic arbitration

An A-to-Z assortment of petty matters dat hafta be decided in court:
AArbitration: Legal wranglings regarding how long you hafta attend sobriety meetings.
barbitration: Gavel-banging decisions regarding da design of fishing-hooks.
carbitration: (1) What your health-foods-fanatic parents subject you to regarding how sweet/starchy your diet is allowed to be. (2) Da overly-picky/onerous rules dat da DMV dictates to us.
farbitration: Bu**s**t rules regarding longer distances.
garbitration: What snooty grownups foist upon you regarding your clothing choices.
jarbitration: Regulations about glass screw-top containers.
marbitration: Statutes da deal with dents and scratches in an objects paint/finish.
parbitration: What Goldfinger would have liked to take his "wrong-ball game-forfeiture" disappointment with James Bond to.
tarbitration: Legal proceedings regarding either tobacco by-products or da sticky messy goo dat they seal roofs with.
warbitration: What two opposing armies eventually resort to when they see dat they are too closely matched for one of da other to win their battle.

Additional alphabetic arbitration terms are possible is you alter da spellings slightly:
arbortration: Laws governing either drill/lathe-mandrels of vertical-frame landscaping.
barbertration: Stipulations on when/how you can get a haircut.
Farbertration: Dictates what kitchen gadgets may be used.
harbortration: Stupid rules governing a safe anchorage.

by QuacksO December 29, 2023