Should the debt limit be raised?

The country may go into default later this month if the debt ceiling is not raised.U.S. could face default as early as Oct. 22, new analysis finds My question - could it actually be a good thing to default?  Constantly raising the ceiling simply leads to more raising, which eventually turns the whole issue into a joke, does it not?  On the other hand, I hear that a default could have a negative economic impact outside the borders of the U.S., and I suppose this could lead to widespread recession.  However, isn't getting into a temporary dive better than having the whole system crash down upon us in the future?