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Notes -
Whether or not settling Mars is practically possible is beyond my wheelhouse.
But one thing I'm sure of is that it won't be our best and brightest. I'm pretty sure the bulk of people who would sign up to go and live on Mars would be those who haven't been able to make satisfactory lives for themselves on earth. Something between Victorian convicts sent to Australia and modern day boat-people. I can't imagine any women willingly making the trip, so good luck breeding a race of superhumans.
My first thought was along your lines, since pretty much all previous colonizations followed a similar pattern.
However, 3-5 years in a spaceship to land on a barren wasteland is vastly different. The voyage of the Mayflower was 2 months across the Atlantic to a land of unmatched natural bounty. The migrants floating across the Mediterranean only have to stomach a couple of days before landing on a rich, permissive welfare state with prebuilt infrastructure. Even with SpaceX bringing back indentured servitude to cover travel costs, the first folks landing on Mars will be a different breed than previous colonists. It's going to be much more like Antarctica, which, from what I understand, is generally an elite crew compared to the rest of humanity.
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