I agree there are limits to what humans can do in space.

Perhaps, instead of going outside of Low Earth Orbit, the emphasis should have been to find the most cost effective and sustainable way to send humans into space. And try and try again until the breakthrough occured.

But it only took humans to where they have been before.

That wasn't attractive enough.

Now, I would love to see men (and women) back on the Moon even if just like Apollo, it would not last.
The Moon has the advantage of being close enough for missions to last a short enough time so that several flights can take place within a year and the public wouldn't get bored (also because every day, there'd be something going during such a trip).

But Mars? Far too far away !