The good thing is that it looks like difficulty should be "leveling-off" by the end of this year.
The difficulty will level off when it becomes unprofitable for the best ASIC manufacturers to sell chips. This won't change as long as basic economic laws hold. Rising tide floats all boats yadda yadda yadda.
No.
Can't argue with that logic. Other manufacturers, bored by profits, will stop making, selling, and mining their ASICs. Leaving the market wide open for Ken & his awesome 55nm chippery

Edit: If there ever will be any chippery - thus far, there's none.