Government Shutdown 2013 is Full of Myths Spread By Both Parties

We've heard it over and over in the debate about the partial government shutdown and the oncoming issue of raising the debt ceiling: Republicans are taking hostages, putting a gun to our heads, and threatening us with harm unless they get their way. By raising the possibility that we won't pay our debts, they're violating democracy and engaging in blackmail, or so we're told.