2 part question:

1. Don't we have better things (more pertinent things) that we could expend those resources on?

2. What if we put all that effort into figuring out how to colonize on the open ocean? China "built" an island in the South China Sea - it seems much more realistic and closer to reality to create large developments over water here on earth as opposed to on another planet.

I understand exploring Mars for research purposes, but nobody needs to live there. Maybe jus create a prison camp for Earth's undesirables. Anyone serving a life sentence. Or Beiber.