Learning
The ISS may seem like a waste, but if we want to go anywhere outside of the Earth-Moon system, even inside the solar system, it's going to take a long time.
The main goal of a manned space station is precisely to study how to stay for a long time in space.
It's not exciting, granted!
Perhaps we should try to ask what our priorities really are, in space. Should it be science, show, the Earth, everything but Earth....I have an opinion but I'm not sure it would be the best idea.