"My original comment explicitly (see: "if/when independent survival is [...] feasible") takes no position on this matter." Since "independent survival" will ne

"My original comment explicitly (see: "if/when independent survival is [...] feasible") takes no position on this matter." Since "independent survival" will never be feasible on Mars, your comment sounds like pure fiction. It's not like you can just go out in the wilderness and kill an animal for food, or find a river to drink from. You can't even breathe there. "Independent survival" is barely even feasible on Earth. You will always be dependent on the facilities, supply ships, etc. Then there's the question of protecting what you have, without having any authorities, law enforcement, etc. to help you. If you go there, it will most likely be an experience as in the old mining towns, where a single company owned everything, (factory, shops, residential areas, recreational areas, etc), and the workers will mainly be paid in "company bucks", that can only be used there. For most people, it'll be like a dystopian neo-feudalistic nightmare, you can't wake up from. One where you can't even quit your job, because there's nowhere else to go. Indentured servitude on another planet. But the Elon fan boys will no doubt be happy to sign up for it anyway.