But one thing is clear about the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York: It was an act of terrorism done with a cold, calculated cruelty that would guarantee a worldwide TV audience of millions.

As so, there it was Tuesday morning as we all watched, shocked and horrified in our offices, shops and homes: a jetliner suddenly appearing on the screen, flying into the center’s South Tower and exploding in a fireball of yellow and red.

With meticulous planning, the terrorists had used the first crash to get the scene on live television, popping up on every channel from CNN to ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

And then came the second plane, crashing into the tower and searing a horrible, life-changing image into our nation’s collective psyche.

As the terrorist nature of the two New York attacks and a subsequent one at the Pentagon, much too close to home, began to sink in, people began comparing them to Pearl Harbor.

In some ways, it was worse, because most of the victims at Pearl were military personnel who’d signed on to confront our country’s enemies.

This time out, the victims were all civilians, men and women whose only overt act that day was showing up for work.

But there’s something very different about this week’s attacks and the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

This time out, the atrocities happen at a time when, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, camera crews can instantly capture the tragedy and beam it into every home, office and street corner around the world with a television. And it is easier when they occur in the media capitals of the country.

Americans were shocked and saddened when they heard radio reports about Pearl Harbor.

But yesterday, as these attacks unfolded, we didn’t just hear about it.

We saw it, scared to watch, but just as terrified to turn away.