[defrost]

> I disagree.

Of course you do, you've followed that with

Yet Another Hand Waving Away Challenges Of Self Sustaining Off Earth Colonies.

Even if there was a self sufficient colony on Mars, it's tiny and all the other problems remain; non European colonies on Earth didn't eliminate issues at home and they were vastly simpler to establish than off planet colonies for a host of reasons you've skimmed over.