Why the Brexit referendum has led to this total gridlock

The Remain or Leave referendum in 2016 was so simple. Do you want to stay in the EU or leave? There weren't lots of other options such as, if you want to leave would you like to stay in the customs union and/or the single market, do you want to ban free movement of labour, what do you want to do about Northern Ireland vis a vis border checks with the South, are you happy with paying 39 billion euros as a divorce settlement? No nothing like that. It was just a straight question, stay or leave. So 17.4 million said let's get the hell out of the EU and we'll leave the details to our government. Well, in hindsight, how naive can you be? It's the detail which has totally screwed up that original vote by the people. And don't forget that the vast majority of MPS themselves voted to remain in the EU. So all these elected representatives have been fighting to get the least damaging deal while those who voted Leave have done their best to frustrate everyone else and go for a hard Brexit with the EU held at the furthest arm's length as possible. That's why the UK is in a mess of historic proportions. Parliament just doesn't know what it really wants. There is no possibility of unity. None whatsoever. The EU negotiators keep on saying, "We know what the UK Parliament doesn't want. But what we don't know is what it does want." Fair enough except that there is no answer to that. Theresa May has stressed 100 times that she believes it's in the best interests of the country to leave the EU WITH an agreed deal and her deal is the only one on the table. But MPS have twice thrown out her deal. So that argument won't wash anymore. Leaving with no deal should also be thrown out tonight when MPs vote on this specific question. So here is the situation summed up simply: The majority of MPs don't want Theresa May's deal and they don't want a no-deal exit. So what the hell do they want? A soft Brexit in which the UK stays in the customs union and single market or a much harder Brexit which will look like a no-deal in all but name? It doesn't matter really because the hard Brexiteers will never agree with the soft Brexiteers. So extending the exit date beyond March 29 in the vain hope that a compromise can be bashed out will be a total waste of time, and money. There IS no solution other than giving up, cancelling Article 50 and staying in the EU. But I don't think that will happen either. Merde alors!!