I think that enough of us humans want to go to mars that it’ll happen regardless of what congress or bloggers have to say about it. Some of those who want to go there create arguments to justify it (exploration! science! profit! new technology! extinction if life on earth!), but I view these as post hoc rationalizations.

So yeah the best “why mars” argument is maybe just that someone will do it for the lulz.

Even if congress or musk don’t get around to it, someone eventually will.