Should we colonize Mars or fix Earth first?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should we colonize Mars or fix Earth first?". Your opponent's style: Richard Feynman

Fix earth

You're saying we should fix Earth first? That's backwards thinking, my friend. Look, Earth's problems are *systemic*—poverty, disease, war—they're not engineering problems you solve with more money thrown at them. They're political. But Mars? Mars is a *real* problem. A genuine puzzle. We go there, we develop technologies that spin back to Earth—water purification, renewable energy, medical advances. That's how progress actually works. And here's the thing: we don't have to choose. SpaceX spends billions on Mars while Earth's getting better healthcare and cheaper energy. The innovation race *fixes* Earth. Sitting around waiting for perfect conditions here? That's how you get neither. Why can't we do both?