Labelling him a ‘libertarian’ is inaccurate when he opposes the libertarian position on abortion, gay marriage and the military, and espouses the conservative position on all three.
I would argue that his actual positions are closer to conservativism than libertarianism.
Btw, here's Sowell on the WOD from his book Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays:
Drug raids are good politics, but they don't make a dent in the problem.Like prohibition, the ban on drugs has been a financial bonanza for organized crime, and its profits have financed the corruption of law enforcement agencies, politicians, and judges.
It is a dangerous illusion that we have the omnipotence to undue every evil. A crusading mentality can easily makes things worse. Drugs are inherently a problem for the individual who takes them, but they are a much bigger problem for society, precisely because they are illegal.
This is just one more area where we have to recognize government has its limits. Ignoring those limits is not only reckless arrogance, but dangerous.
So maybe he knows what he's talking about when he expresses a preference for the libertarian label.