Is libertarian same thing as conservative?

Question

how can they be different if conservative and libertarian both believe in small govermint? what do they disagree with?

Answer 1

No. Real libertarians aren't conservatives and real conservatives aren't libertarians.

Libertarianism emerged from classical liberalism and early socialism. The liberals, William Godwin and Thomas Hodgskin, independently approached libertarian socialist ideas, but Josiah Warren and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon are generally considered the first true libertarian socialists. The principle of federation can be seen as an anarchist response to the social contract; it retains the voluntary elements, and removes the hierarchical ones. We condemn much of presently-asserted private property, not for being private, but for being stolen and/or extorted and/or fraudulent. "[Capitalist] property is theft," but "[possessive] property is freedom." Our economics range from free-market-based to anarcho-communist.

As for those other libertarians; it's fine when they mix our ideas with classical liberalism; it's just wrong when they mix the combination with nationalism, constitutionalism, and the other hierarchical aspects of paleoconservatism.

The early anarchist, Joseph Dejacque, introduced the word in a letter condemning patriarchy and his fellow-anarchist, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's, defense of patriarchy. The same characterization applies to many paleocons and other modern defenders of hierarchy: they are *libéral* et non LIBERTAIRE.

Conservatism began when the Tory party supported absolute monarchy, but later changed its focus towards established traditions. Burkean conservatives held that these traditions usually work, and that new methods must learn from old ones. Too many modern conservatives simply believe in supporting the existing power structures, whether it follows tradition, overturns tradition, or pretends its new practices are established tradition. In practice, conservativism = social dominance orientation = authoritarianism.

Answer 2

It all depends on how you define small government.

A libertarian will tell you that conservative pet programs like the War on Drugs and also laws regulating people's private behavior, i.e. prohibiting abortion, pornography, prostitution, drugs, sodomy, g*y marriage, smoking are all examples of government intrusiveness.  They might be opposed to government regulations requiring seatbelts, car insurance, motorcycle helmets.... Libertarians are generally opposed to the draft and often opposed to the death penalty, on the grounds that governments shouldn't have that kind of power. They uniformly hate the Patriot Act.

Libertarians also hate the kinds of big government that conservatives hate: high taxes, business regulation, welfare programs, the IRS, the FDA, socialized medicine, etc. Libertarians don't like laws prohibiting gun ownership or home schooling. They are in favor of free markets and oppose corporate welfare and government subsidies for businesses also. They are strongly in favor of individual property rights.

So they resemble pro-business conservatives but not the social conservatives. On some topics (wars, military draft, death penalty, drugs, g*y marriage) they are more like liberals than conservatives.

Does that help?