OT a bit - fly to the moon or Mars?

Why?

The first race to the moon, and that's exactly what it was, got us braggin
rights, a few hundred pounds of rocks, some great technology for terrestrial
applications (that probably could have evolved anyway), and??
I'm old enough to have watched it all on the boob tube as an adult, and was
awed by the WOW factor, but now what?

The ISS turned into a cash black hole just keeping it habitable, never mind
useful; but, I suppose there is still potential for something, and it is in
the neighborhood so to speak.

A trip back to the moon is ridiculous IMHO, and apparently most of the world
agrees cause I don't see anybody but us even mentioning it.

A trip to Mars would bring what?? Another set of rocks to place beside the
moon rocks in museums?
Certainly not a lifeboat when our planet is poisoned beyond repair
(Hollywood makes it look easy) - even lifeboats need support sooner or
later.

A mining operation? For? And we'd get it back here how?

A stepping off base? To? And we'll start breeding in space for the time
travel to another uninhabitable place?

A corporate "entitlement fund", for the already well to do? Hey, a trillion
here (Iraq before we're done) and a trillion 'there', pretty soon it starts
to add up. However, there is the trickle down effect, and it is a trickle..

I'm totally in favor of manned exploration of our corner of the universe,
that has practical, obtainable benefits and goals, but it just seems the
efforts might better directed within, keeping what we have liveable, rather
than a Star Trek script. If the robots turn up something absolutely
extraordinary, that could change.

Just MHO, probably short sighted on my part, I also thought the hula hoop
was a dumb idea. I can understand the "climb the mountain because it's
there" mentality up to a point, but I'd sure like a better reason in this
case than "just because"....

There, I feel better. Rant mode off, asbestos shorts on...... d:-))