Current Mars 'thinking': We go to Mars because we can...

but that's just short-term jingoism, without saying "Hang on. Mars? Now? What with?"

Sure, we can do it, "Mars Direct" style but why?

Consider the timelag on supplying needed tools or components. Yet we have rapid-prototyping techniques rapidly being developed for remote repairs by the armed forces - but I don't see any research along those lines for Mars. How sustainable is that?

Mars has materials that the Moon doesn't, except by exhaustively gleaning solar-wind implanted traces from billions of tons of regolith. It has a lot in its favour and the distance should guide our planning - we go to stay and we'll need the means to make new tools and shape raw materials.