I'm not going to lie to you...I think honesty is an important principle to keep. When someone says "I'm not going to lie to you," I really hope they don't lie to me. Before you lie, think about how much you like being lied to. Then don't lie.
It's important to be honest both in words and deeds. If one is dishonest, then people will distrust them. Distrust leads to resentment, anger, and a general lack of amicability. George Washington said that he "[could] not tell a lie." Yet politicians today seem to be little more than professional liars. When people wonder why everyone hates politicians so much, I don't. It's simply because they lie, or distort truth so greatly that only their supporters think they aren't lying. This leads to distrust between people and politicians, and between the left and the right. For decades politicians were able to resolve their differences diplomatically. Now they resort to shouting "you lie!" at the other side.
We haven't as of yet discussed honesty as it relates to The Road. That doesn't mean it's not relevant or important. Note that the man is at times dishonest to the boy regarding their position. He does that likely because he thinks it will protect the boy, but it is really just deceiving him unnecessarily. At other times, he is very honest. Does he value honesty? Or is that a part of civilization that went down with society?
I suppose I should add the following: The origins of principles are obscure--people tend not to invent them. I inherited this principle from my father. There's no questioning, he is a very honest man and he taught me honesty from a young age. And I thank him for that. (Full disclosure: Both my dad's father and grandfather were politicians...hopefully they were honest ones.)
In regard to your questions, I don't think honesty is one of the values discarded in the post-apocalyptic times, but it definitely is not one that was valued. The man tells the son somewhat wild guesses as to how far they have gone and consolations to ease some of the fears, but he does so knowing that it will negatively affect the son and at some times, I thought it was to have a reason to hate himself and idolize his son more. He practically beats himself up with the stress he carries and the son probably knows that the father is harboring that against himself. As to whether the man values honesty, I think it's up to how you perceive it to be. I personally think that it does not have as high of a priority as other values like humanity. For him, he has to shelter, protect, and provide for his son, but the son is burdened by his father's pre-apocalyptic viewpoint of the circumstances. The son only knows life as the survival of the fittest while the father is constantly relapsing into a mindset that puts the two in more danger. No one is completely honest, even now. It's all part of our intuition. Some things may pose a threat to others and no matter how small that threat may be, not many people would be willing to disclose that if keeping it a secret meant protecting them.
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