The only valid reason to send humans into space is to claim ore bodies for the country and then allow for private rights to be established.
I know there are arguements to be made for that premise. I would however point out that space is the high ground, and it is strategicly important that we are the ones who control that high ground. Our government is compelled to see this happen, one way or another.
One of the serious ramifications of lighting China's economic fire, was that we were setting in place a nation five times our size as a competitor. That competitior will be entering space. It will wind up with a tax base two to five times our size.
What that takes place, we're going to be in a world of hurt trying to keep them from turning into a near-space nightmare.