Hmmmm, humans are still capable of things machines aren't, like quick on the spot decision making (rover teams decide by committy), being agile, making repairs etc. Machines may equal or surpass humans in these areas at some future point (although I've given up holding my breath for all the amazing advances in AI that are always ten years away) but today humans still have an edge. Not to mention that one field of research is the effect of 1/6 gravity on humans (and other life) long term.

Looking out of a ten inch thick window is not the stuation for a moon mission, the pressure difference is 1 bar not thousands, you can don a suit and go for a walk. There is potential for a tourism market, and objecting to it on the grounds that only the rich will go at first is objecting to the cheaper access for more ordinary folk that will follow in time.

I think you're being a bit (only a bit though) unfair to the ISS and the shuttle, some good science and useful missions have come from them.

Lastly space exploration is about pride, competition and prestige, demonstrating technological advances, as much as pure science. These things nations feel they have to do, and I'd rather they did them by building moon base than building weapons, or even huge statues, or carving presidents faces into rocks, or building excessively tall buildngs, etc etc.