I get that putting meat on the ground can have benefits that probes don't provide. I also get that we have to move some people off of this rock in case it gets hit by a bus. But doing something because "it's there" won't ever get sustainable colonies, let alone self sufficient ones.

We built a trillion dollar rocket industry so we could blow up the world if the russians invaded europe. Not because we wanted to advance humanity. Not because we really wanted to do something awesome. If you want humans in space en masse you have to come up with a compelling short term reason to do so. Water on the moon doesn't cut it.