Cassa, if you think the UK can unilaterally decide the way forward regarding international relations then you are simply mistaken - although there is plenty of evidence that you are far from being alone, that is the tragedy of this situation and largely how it came about. Even if the UK, in its shambolic inability to get its act together, simply froze in some sort of catatonic state when the deadline passes, then the rest of the world would simply proceed in its way and that would be a properly hard border with all the other ways/things that go along with a collapsed state of affairs. According to the latest news, there are already talks under way between some in Northern Ireland and the Republic about unification - if something like that comes to fruition then we will be seeing the beginning of the break-up of the UK. This may well resolve all the Brexit conundrum and at that those part(s) of the UK which voted for Brexit will get it and have to deal/live with it. Job done and life goes on.