The purpose of going to Mars is for humans to first begin to occupy, permanently, another planet in the solar system. The astronauts or pilgrims, whatever you might call them, are going to be very historically unique human beings.
You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.
In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.
To move forward, what's required is a unified space agenda based on exploration, science, development, commerce, and security.
Most people never believed in the real possibility of going to the moon, and neither did I until I was in my twenties.
The decision to go to the moon is now appreciated and associated with President Kennedy's speech, but somebody else had told him it was a good idea. It turned out to be a good commitment, but it was a unique situation.
