Boldly go, of course. Exploration is like art, it doesn’t have any logic, but it is necessary to us as human beings. The only real ethical concern I see is managing not to pollute Mars when we get there (if we do).

There have been always problems in human race and always will be. They should not be a halt to the development.
Streamline the health system is not and OR, its and AND.
What I think is to do it as an internaiontal effort instead of a USA effort, just like ISS.

Were there no problems in 1969? Let’s see.
A public war in Vietnam and secret wars in surrounding countries. A cold war threatening nuclear annihilation. Richard Nixon sworn in as President. The Football war in Central America. Race riots in Malaysia. Richard Nixon sworn in as President. The final breakup of the Beatles. Gay riots in New York. Apartheid flourishing, Mandela in jail. The Charles Manson murders. Richard Nixon sworn in as President. My Lai. The premiere of The Brady Bunch. Richard Nixon sworn in as President. The Altamont Free Concert signals the end of the sixties. Richard Nixon sworn in as President.
If ever there was a time to say “But right now?” it was 1969. Today’s problems are a mere trifle in comparison. Oh, did I mention that 1969 was the year Richard “I am not a crook” Nixon was sworn in as president?

Boldly go–it gives the high-testosterone types something to do besides making war.

“A stirring prospect, certainly. An opportunity to invest in our better selves, undoubtedly. A challenge both epic and praiseworthy, without question.” Really?? Why – because we beat the Russians there? Since/because we went and walked on the moon what actual betterment have we accomplished? Global warming has continued, millions of people have no healthcare, wars are going on all over the planet (earth), liars and cheaters have become so successful that millions of people have lost their life savings, their homes, their dreams for the future of their children and their dreams for their own retirement, and thanks to our last president we are borrowing billions of dollars to reward the people and institutions that put most of us into a recession (no help for the victims)…Cancer, AIDs, SIDs, Mental and emotional illness are all well and show no signs of loosing a grip on us… You ask, “Is it our moral imperative to push forward and pioneer this almost unimaginable frontier, fulfilling our great human destiny as explorers (and conquerers), or are we already biting off far more than we can chew with terrestrial concerns?” hmmm… what the hey, maybe if we get to Mars we can share our good fortune, eh.

We are in almost the same circumstances as we were during the Lunar missions of the 60 & Early 70′s, except that we are now FREE of the inept president that was responsible for leading us into this other war.
We should go. Europe during the time of Columbus had more than its share of problems, but Ferdinand of Spain didn’t nix Columbus when he came to him asking for funds for his 3 ships. ( & I know some people are going to point out the aftermath of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas….. )
We should return to the Moon & resume what we finished there after the last mission in 1974 ( ? ), & we should go further to Mars, even if there’s no life there, & go further.
Exploration & discovery are vital to the human spirit. It’s what we’re hard – wired to do. The trick is NOT to befoul the Moon & Mars like we have the Earth.

We need to explore the Moon, Mars & beyond, without trashing the planets like we have Earth, kinda echoing my earlier post ( that was me up there ). It’s what makes humans HUMAN.

just test