I have approximately the same take. But why do we think Drew Houston recruited Rice for his board? Is it the Stanford connection? Does Dropbox do a large amount of GSA business we haven't heard about? Surely it can't be because he supports Rice's performance as National Security Advisor.

I think Rice is towards the bottom of a list of architects of the Iraq War, for what it's worth; only Powell is further removed from it. It probably goes Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush, {Wolfowitz, Feith, Bolton, &c}, a bunch of other people, and then Rice and Powell. She's a critic --- not very credibly, but a critic nonetheless --- of the actual execution of the war.

I wouldn't hire her, but my reaction to her involvement with Dropbox is less visceral than, I don't know, puzzlement?

That's all a matter of values. By hiring her, Dropbox gives the impression that they are endorsing her and what she did in the past, or that "her past does not matter". Which is a very sad call to make when you respect human life.

I understand why people believe this, but strictly speaking, it isn't true. Employing someone isn't an endorsement for all their positions, and even more to the point, employing someone who was in the past affiliated with an organization isn't an endorsement of the whole organization.

Again: I wouldn't hire her, and I'm more confused by her presence on the board than anything else.

I think a board seat is rather different than employment. I am comfortable with political and "values" tests for company directors that I would consider inappropriate for an employee.

Don't get me wrong! I'm not uncomfortable with the values test here! I'm just confused as to the logic behind appointing her, and thus about what her appointment says about Dropbox.