Is p2p investing really investing?

[Bjauck]

Yes I know what you mean. The posters use of the word usury was probably not meant as such but certainly does carry an emotive connotation ...

I think that "usury" is nearly always used in circumstances in which the writer is expressing ethical repugnance. The word has a negative connotation. If the writer intends a more benign connotation then "at a high interest rate" or similar would be used.

... There is always someone willing to exploit someone else's circumstances, whether it be for money, influence or power....

"Exploit" with its negative meaning requires a moral or ethical judgment. Such activity if proscribed by a nation's law is an illegal activity. Using the neutral connotation of "exploit" then that statement could apply to every investment. And if you add "or whether it be for self-satisfaction" it could be applied to every endeavour including organised charities and research institutions.