I don't think 'Facebook will fail because other companies have failed' is the right answer.
No-one, looking at Apple in 1998, could have correctly predicted what they would be like a decade down the road. It's not unreasonable to suppose that guesses at what the big companies in the industry will look like a decade from now will often be wildly incorrect, no matter how obvious things seem.
Now I'm currently refering to facebook failing in the same way that "Microsoft and Yahoo" have failed. They still exist, are still (quite) profitable, but their relavency is fading.
As to apple. I've always wondered if the magic there will continue after Steve Jobs dies.
Apple did just fine while Jobs was on medical leave for six months or so.