In other words, for most of us it's a camera operation no matter what, so it doesn't seem to matter whether people go along or not. As a practical question of exploring Mars, however, cameras can't get under the surface. And robots are not very versatile or capable, they make bad field geologists . So there would be that reason to send humans, just sheer efficiency for the job as outlined. It has a spectacular quality that is encouraging, and the value of comparative planetology to managing the Earth's environment is very high.
Verbs are so revealing of assumptions about motivation.
But so what. Not at all, in fact I made the assumption that there was a great deal of liquid water just under the surface, as the floods at the end of Red Mars indicate, not to mention the oceans in Blue Mars . So I almost had it. Mars is not important, compared to people starving down here. It's interesting, but in the historical context you bring up, interesting is not enough.