Yeah because an asteroid could NEVER hit the earth and wipe is out.

I could have a heart attack or stroke and die tomorrow. So what? There's probably extensive measures I could take to mitigate that (constant biometric monitoring, spending all my money on a personal physician entourage, strict diet and fitness regimen, etc...). Each of those extremes has a cumulative negative effect on my lived quality of life. Is it worth living in a state of paranoia to eek an extra decade out of life?

It's what they could achieve in existing.

What achievement is building a colony of chemically sedated and artificially sustained peons on Mars at 1000x the cost of sustaining them on earth? Why is that a loftier and more noble goal than using those resources on, say, 1000 years of cultural/artistic development?

control society and keep doomsaying

Apparently looking at the raw truth of entropy and ecology is doomsaying. That's just physics my dude, do a little soul searching and come to terms with mortality.

As for controlling society, you're right: let's not talk about the absurd cost of our options for space colonization and how little benefit the human race gains from it. There's no way to control our actions, just close your eyes and imagine star trek utopias while we burn Earth's limited fuel reserves throwing metal at Mars.