We should have robotic exploration, but that shouldn’t exclude human space flight. “That’s one small step for R2D2” just isn’t the same.
Why excerpt your own stuff?
The author will have to enlist more Martian voters to sustain his position.
Mining?
The payback curve is long and shallow.
Tourism?
A few rich folks gawking without prospect for establishing a profitable enterprise?
Defense?
Manned has no prospect of making it better.
Just like MLK who wanted handouts over NASA spending.