On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 02:16:32 +0000 (UTC), Steven James Forsberg
wrote:

snip
a sometimes needed (sometimes not) adjunct. Of course, no plans are really
far enough along to criticize, but I don't think I'll be happy with just
sending someone there to "plant a flag" until we've exhausted our other
options.

Planting a flag on virgin soil can be a very important thing for some
people. What if the person with the flag was a privateer that had
managed to get to that spot by there own efforts and money with no
government help? Today a British woman has managed to get to the
south pole all on her own with no government help, and no resupply.
The pole has been reached many times in the past, but it was the
accomplisment of actually doing it what matters, and in the case of
Mars, if that person wishes to plant the flag of their country and
leave footprints in the dust that will be the lasting image of his/her
efforts to show it can be done, and a citizen of that country got
there *first*.